Chuck vs the Future Past
by Leonard 356
Summary: Back to Season 1. What if Sarah had made a different Choice when Bryce re-appeared? My first Chuck FF.
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors Note:** _ My first Chuck FF. It always puzzled me that Graham would allow Sarah the option to abandon Chuck just as soon as Bryce was discovered alive. This story goes back to the first season, Sarah makes a different choice and what happens to Chuck as a result. AU, but draws upon canon story line.

The usual disclaimers apply.

"_**We'll always have Omaha."**_

Sarah Walker sat on the edge of her bed in her hotel room lost in her thoughts. She knew that her personal and professional life was at a crossroads. In her mind she still had a choice, but her actions betrayed her. She had already packed her meager possessions and was dressed ready for travel. All she needed was the call.

Director Graham had been clear that the decision was totally hers. Bryce Larkin was exonerated of any wrongdoing in regards to the theft and destruction of the Intersect. In fact, he was sent at Graham's orders to appear as a rogue agent looking to join Fulcrum. No one could know what Larkin's mission was – not the CIA, NSA, or even Sarah. Everyone was suspect.

For nearly a year Sarah was lead to believe that her former partner and lover had betrayed her and the CIA by going rogue. The abrupt abandonment by Bryce was bad enough, but the fact that he was suspected of turning to the enemy made Sarah look guilty also. No one wanted to partner with Sarah as they knew how close she and Bryce were. Graham was forced to use Sarah on solo missions with a handler.

For six months this arrangement worked fine. Sarah was working solo missions in Eastern Europe – all of them successful, until Budapest. Walker's handler decided that he wanted to set himself up for retirement by 'stealing' the infant child of wealthy family that had already been murdered by the Russian mob. It was a simple enough mission – get in kill everyone and take the baby. Sarah believed that the CIA wanted to protect the child. It was nearly too late when she realized that her handler wanted the child for himself to 'inherit' her family's fortune after the infant's 'accidental' death.

Sarah was able to get away with the child by letting everyone including the CIA think that she had perished. She convinced her mother, whom she hadn't had any contact with for nearly 20 years that this was an opportunity to have the daughter that she never really had. No one would ever know the true identity of the child besides Sarah and the infant would get a chance at a normal life. Sarah knew that she could never see her mother or the child again as long as her 'handler' was still alive. It was a small price to pay in her mind.

Graham knew that Sarah belief's had been shaken to their very core by the betrayals of her partner and her handler. She was unable to trust anyone now. The director decided that she needed an 'easy' assignment to help restore her faith in her fellow man. That was why she ended up in Burbank California babysitting a nerd who was unfortunate enough to become the keeper of all of the government's secrets in his head.

Langston Graham always knew that Sarah Walker's time in Burbank would be limited. She was too valuable of a field agent to waste away taking care of an asset. There were plenty of new, young agents to handle such an assignment. Besides, he knew that once the new Intersect was operational the 'current' model would become redundant and 'retired'. There was no place in the intelligence community for an amateur agent.

What he didn't count on was that the combination of Walker, John Casey - NSA assassin, and the Intersect becoming a very successful team. There seemed to be a synergy there that one wouldn't have seen at first glance. While part of him hated the thought of breaking up the team, he felt that he owed Sarah the opportunity to choose if she wanted to return to her partner or stay. That was why he called Sarah after Bryce's Lazarus-like return from the dead to let her choose.

It should have been an easy decision for Sarah. After all, this was her chance to return to the Big Show, the top two agents in the CIA together again. Her former partner and lover fighting to preserve the 'greater good'. It should have been easy, so why was it so hard?

Charles Irving Bartowski was why. Somehow in a period of only a few months, 'Chuck' had managed to cause Sarah to question everything she was taught regarding the 'greater good'. Somehow he had managed to restore some level of faith that not everyone is either evil, or corrupt. Despite being abandoned by his parents as a child, betrayed by his best friend and cheated on by his long term girlfriend, he still was able to see the good in everyone – even her. Chuck had 'seen' every one of her mission files, read every sordid detail of every seduction and assassination that she had taken part of, yet chose to trust her simply because she asked him to. Part of her wanted to believe that he was simply a good person, while the daughter of con-man Jack Burton saw him as just another 'sucker' to be used as needed and abandoned when their usefulness was over.

Sarah had convinced herself that leaving Chuck was the best thing that she could do for him. He wanted a 'real' relationship. The problem was he wanted that relationship with her. Sarah knew that it was an impossible desire. Agents do not have relationships with assets. It's in the rules. From the beginning, she had explained to Chuck that she had one job only – to protect the Intersect. Any chance at a relationship was not possible. That didn't deter Chuck from trying to break down her defenses and ultimately lead to the ill-fated kiss as they thought they were about to be blown up.

In all of her time with Bryce she had never experienced the passion that a single kiss with Chuck had provided. She tried to convince herself that it was simply the threat if immanent death that explained why it was so different. It couldn't be that it was whom she was kissing was why. She was an agent of the CIA, one of the best, she couldn't allow herself to be compromised by her asset. That would mean reassignment and mission failure. Sarah Walker never failed on a mission, regardless of the cost.

Sarah glanced at her watch and took one final look around the room to make sure that all of her personal possessions were packed. Spies travel light and Sarah traveled lighter than most. Her experience had taught her as much. She glanced at the phone sitting on the nightstand and for the briefest of moments hoped that Bryce had changed his mind about her return as his partner. That thought was short lived as the phone started to ring at the exact same instant her cell phone began to play it's tune. Glancing at her iPhone, her suspicions were confirmed as the smiling photo of one Chuck Bartowski appeared on the display. Her room phone continued to ring as she debated on answering Chuck's call. Steeling her nerves, she pressed the decline button and then reached to answer the room phone. The call was brief. Bryce was waiting in the lobby. She picked up her iPhone, placed it in her purse, grabbed her bags and walked to her door.

Standing in the doorway, she took one last look at her room and her life in Burbank. "Goodbye Chuck" she whispered to herself as she closed the door to her room and her heart.

Bryce was sitting on a sofa in the lobby as Sarah got out of the elevator. He turned and smiled as she approached. "Well hello Mrs Anderson. It's good to see you again."

Sarah saw that Bryce was wearing the prop wedding band that the agency provided. She feigned a smile and replied "It's good to see you too Mr Anderson."


	2. Chapter 2

"_**We'll always have Omaha."**_

Bryce smiled at Chuck and winked at Sarah as he walked out of the home theater room of the Buy More. Casey turns to walk out of the room, but stops to yell at Chuck. "Come on moron. Time to go home. You can ride with me."

Chuck sees Sarah standing there pretending to look at a report in her hand. He desperately wants to ask her if he'll see her tomorrow, but she won't look up to allow him eye contact.

He turns for one last glance at her before leaving the room. "Good night Sarah. See you tomorrow." The final statement more of a question.

"Good night Chuck." Sarah replies, her voice barely above a whisper. She never looked up from the papers in her hand as he walks away.

Casey unlocks the Crown Vic and Chuck climbs in the passenger side. They sit in silence for several minutes before Chuck speaks. "What did Bryce mean by 'We'll always have Omaha?"

Casey can only smirk as he replies "It's probably code. He's going deep and this is Walker's chance to go with him."

Realization hits Chuck like a punch to the gut. "Do you think she'll go? I mean I understand that they were partners and all, but she's working with me, I mean us."

Casey can only smile at Chuck's naivete. "Don't know. Don't Care. Don't worry moron, I hear there's a Christmas catalog of handlers coming out."

"Really?"

"No, you idiot. You'll take whoever they assign and be grateful that they don't dump you in the deepest, darkest hole they can find."

The remainder of the drive to their respective apartments was spent in silence. The weight of Sarah's decision would be felt by him either way. If she decided to stay out of obligation or duty, then he was afraid that she would see him as an obstacle to her career and happiness. If she left then the only thing that has made this whole nightmare bearable since he opened that email will be gone. Either way he loses.

Casey pulled into the parking lot and turns off the car debating if he should say anything to Chuck. Deciding that the moron needs to 'man-up', he opts to grunt, "get out. We're here."

Chuck gets out of the car, his posture is that of a man heading to the gallows. 'How will I explain this to Ellie?' he wonders. He turns as Casey passes him by on his way to his apartment. "Good night Major."

Casey can only grunt and reply with something containing 'moron' as he walks to his door.

Standing in front of his door, Chuck schools his expression to not arouse any suspicion from his sister. 'Besides, I don't know for sure if Sarah is leaving and Ellie will hate her if she finds out she's going with Bryce.' he tells himself. Forcing his best fake smile, he turns the knob and opens the door to see Ellie in the kitchen preparing dinner and Devon riding his stationary bike.

"Chuck!" Ellie exclaims as he walks into the apartment. "Dinner's almost ready. Go in and wash up, then help me set the table."

"Sure thing sis." Chuck replies as he walks to his room to drop off his backpack. He washes up in the bathroom and returns to the kitchen where he greets Devon still riding the bike. "Hey Awesome, how are things going?"

Devon can only smile and replies "Awesome, Chuckles. How was your day?"

Chuck has to smile at Devon's response. It's the running joke between them and part of the reason he earned the nickname Captain Awesome. He opens the cabinets to get the dishes for dinner as he asks Ellie how her day was. Chuck continues to set the table as he listens to Ellie explain the trials and tribulations of being a second year resident. He pretends to listen to her as he sets the table throwing in an occasional 'Uh-huh' and 'you don't say' as needed. He knew Ellie too well. She didn't care if he was listening. She just wanted to vent her frustrations and Chuck was ok with that.

Dinner as usual, was excellent. The conversation was light and lively with Devon's stories of his planned white water rafting trip and Chuck's tales of the Buy Morons, as Casey referred to them. Chuck thought that he had dodged a bullet until Ellie decides to ask about Sarah. "So Chuck, it's been a while since I saw Sarah. How are things going with you two now that Lou's out of the picture?"

Chuck swallows hard before deciding how he can answer her question without telling a total lie. "We're taking things slow right now. I think that Sarah is still upset with me about Lou."

Ellie has a slight scowl as if she knows that Chuck isn't telling the whole truth. "Well, you know that Christmas is only a couple of weeks away. Have you made any plans with Sarah for the holidays?"

Chuck decides to try to give her as honest of an answer as he can. "Things are pretty fluid right now sis." Chuck pauses before continuing. "Sarah got an offer for her old job back in DC."

The scowl on Ellie's face now turns to concern. "I thought that she left her job in DC to get away from her old boyfriend. Is she going back to him too?"

Chuck can only look down at the table dejectedly as he replies. "Yeah, he's the one who asked her to come back."

"Well she's a fool if she leaves you." Ellie replies with a false bravado.

Thankfully, Devon steers the conversation back to lighter topics and soon Ellie gets up to clear the table as Chuck heads to the living room to watch TV. He sits on the sofa watching the interaction of Devon and Ellie as they do the dishes together and feels a pang of envy. Chuck fakes a loud yawn and tells the couple that is tired and is going to bed. They exchange good night wishes as he heads to his room.

Kicking off his shoes, Chuck plops down on the bed still fully clothed in his Nerd Herder uniform. Lying on his back he stares at the ceiling debating with himself if he should call Sarah. Several minutes pass before he works up the courage to make the call. He listens as it rings several times before being sent to voicemail. The lack of an answer is the response he both expected and dreaded.

The remainder of the night was spent with Chuck tossing and turning trying to find sleep. The brief moments where he could sleep were filled with nightmares. The two most vivid were of Sarah leaving telling him that he could never measure up to Bryce and of Larkin walking arm in arm with Sarah as they both laugh at him begging for another chance. Their words chilled him to the bones – 'It's for your own good. You're not strong enough to be a spy.'

The ringtone of his iPhone shook him from his latest nightmare. He glanced at the caller ID, disappointed that it was Casey and not Sarah. Pressing the answer button, he was verbally assaulted before he could utter a word. "Numb-nuts, get your shit in gear and meet me in 15. The general wants to speak to us pronto." The call ended before Chuck could offer a single word.

Chuck examined his phone to see if there were any missed texts or voicemails. There were none. He decided to call Sarah one more time. It only took two rings before the standard 'We're sorry the number you have dialed is no longer in service' message came on. Sarah was gone.

Still wearing his Nerd Herder uniform, Chuck slipped on his shoes and started walking to Casey's apartment. As it was still early, he'd come back, shower and put on clean clothes after the meeting. The major opened the door before Chuck had a chance to knock. "You look like crap moron." Casey smirked.

"Good morning to you too." Chuck replied making no effort to sound anything other than how he felt – defeated.

Chuck and Casey stood in front of the large monitor in the major's living room. Casey stood at attention while Chuck slouched his head never looking at the screen. A few seconds later the rotating NSA logo on the screen was replaced with a grim faced General Diane Beckman. The general cleared her throat expecting everyone's attention. Casey slapped Chuck in the back of the head forcing him to look at the monitor while rubbing his skull.

"Gentlemen." The general paused. "I'll keep this brief. Director Graham informed me that agent Walker has decided to return to field service with her old partner – effective immediately. It was solely agent Walker's decision I was told." She paused again looking to see what reaction, if any, Chuck had. There was none. "The Director wants to place another female CIA agent in the role of handler – which I oppose. I did, however convince him to allow the placement of a NSA agent until such time as a suitable replacement can be found by the CIA. Walker's replacement should arrive in Los Angles in the next couple of days. She is not, and I repeat not, to be told anything about the Intersect. Do you understand?" The general glared as she looked directly at Chuck.

"Yes, general. I understand." Chuck replied as his gaze returned to the floor.

"Good. That will be all." and the screen returned to the rotating NSA logo.

Casey couldn't help himself and had to rub salt in the wound. "Well numbnuts, it looks like your 'girlfriend' decided that she was tired of playing house with you and went off to find greener pastures. I wonder how many times Larkin plowed Walkers field already? Ha Ha!"

Chuck was tired and in no mood to be berated by the major in full-on prick mode. "Screw You!" Chuck screamed as he started to the door to leave.

Casey's laughter was halted by Chuck's outburst. The major could believe what he heard. "What did you say?"

Chuck turned as he stood by the door and replied calmly. "You heard me. I said screw you. I didn't stutter."

Casey covered the distance between the two before Chuck finished the last sentence, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the door. He drew his fist back to strike, but was halted by a scary calm Chuck.

"Go ahead major, hit me. I'll bet that it will be the last thing that you do as a member of the NSA. Remember, I've seen your files. I know every dirty little secret that I'd bet you wouldn't want anyone to know about. The general and the Director may decide one day that you can kill me, but it will be when THEY decide, not you. So go ahead Casey. What have you got to lose?"

The venom dripping from Chuck's voice as he threatened the major made Casey lower his arm and release his grip on Bartowski's throat. He backed away from Chuck not sure how to react. Opening the door, Chuck stood at the entrance, then turned to face Casey. "One more thing major. The name is Charles Bartowski. You can call me Charles, or Chuck, or even Bartowski. The days of calling me moron or numbnuts are over, understand?" Chuck turned and walked out the door and back to his apartment leaving a stunned major in his wake.

'I can't wait until the new Intersect comes on line and I can put a bullet in the head of that whiney moron.' Casey thought to himself and smiled.

The next two days were spent with virtually no contact between Chuck and Casey. At the Buy More Chuck would smile as he passed by Casey as he was trying to sell another Beast-master to another unsuspecting yuppie. Casey would only growl.

On the second evening after their shift at the Buy More was complete, Casey knocked on the door. A few seconds later a smiling Chuck greeted the major. "Well hello Mr Casey. How are you this evening?"

Casey looked to see Ellie and Devon in the kitchen watching the conversation between the two of them. "I'm having a problem with my internet connection and I thought that maybe you could take a look at it – if you're not too busy."

"Sure, no problem John. I'll be right over." Chuck turned back to face Ellie and Devon. "Hey sis, I'm going over to Casey's for a few minutes. I should be back before dinner's ready." Ellie just waved as Chuck closes the door and walks over to Casey's apartment. Knocking on the door, Chuck is startled as the door swings open and he is greeted by Walker's replacement.

"Mr Bartowski, I'm Alex Forest, your new handler." She extends her hand for Chuck to shake.

Chuck visually gives her the once-over. She's as tall as Sarah with long blonde hair. But agent Forest is older and has a world weary look much like Casey. Dressed in jeans and a tank top, her bare arms are muscular and well toned. "It's nice to meet you too agent Forest." Warily, Chuck extends his arm to shake her hand. Her firm grip left no doubt that she wanted to intimidate the 'asset'.

She looks Chuck in the eye not releasing his hand from her vice-like grip. "Major Casey informs me that you like to improvise. I don't like improvisation. I have one rule regarding 'assets' – whatever I say, goes. This is not a democracy. You do not have a vote. Do you understand Mr. Bartowski?" The sarcasm practically dripping as she spoke still holding his hand.

Chuck turned to see Casey almost laughing sitting in his recliner. He looked back to see agent Forest smirking convinced that she had intimidated the lowly 'asset'. 'Just what I need, a female version of Casey'. Chuck nearly laughed out loud at the thought.

"What's so funny Mr Bartowski?" Alex asked clearly puzzled by Chuck's reaction.

Chuck decided that two could play at this game. Ever so slightly, Chuck began to increase his pressure on her hand still gripping his. Chuck was expressionless as he spoke while continuing to increase the pressure of his grip. "Alex Forest, graduated next to last in her training class at Fort Meade in 1994. Served as liaison with Air Force and Iraqi army 2002-2005. Served as asset handler from 2005 until 3 months ago when you were suspended without pay for abusing said asset. You are one black mark away from forced retirement. Do you want to hear more?"

The look on agent Forest's face went from smugness to anger and finally fear as Chuck spoke. She winced as she realized how much her hand hurt from Chuck's gentle shake. "How did you know that about me? That's classified well above any asset's pay grade."

"It doesn't matter how I know." Chuck replied still looking Alex in the eye. "I think that it's time for me to tell you my rules. There are only two. One – I will not be involved in any type of cover boyfriend/girlfriend arrangement with you or any other agent. I learned that lesson the hard way. We can assume whatever role is needed to complete the mission as necessary. And two – I will follow all orders to the best of my ability from either you or major Casey. There are however, occasions where due to unforeseen circumstances, improvisation is required to complete the mission. I will do whatever is needed to complete a mission with the exception of sacrificing a member of my team."

Chuck turned and started to walk back to the front door when he stopped to look at both Casey and Alex. "I have to be going. My sister gets upset if I'm late for dinner. It was 'interesting' meeting you agent Forest. I'll see you at work tomorrow major." He turned back and walked out the door through the courtyard and back to his apartment leaving a stunned agent Forest and a smiling John Casey.

"Well that went about as well as I expected." Casey laughed. "You walked right into the Bartowski blunderbuss and caught both barrels. If he wasn't so damn important I would have arranged an 'accident' as soon as his first handler left."

"How long has he been this way?" Forest inquires.

"Only a couple of days. Something happened when his old handler left him without even a goodbye. Bartowski invests a lot in his teammates emotionally. His previous handler left him to go work with her old partner. Her old partner just happens to be the man who had him expelled from college on bogus charges, stole his old girlfriend and finally put him into this mess where he is an asset of the intelligence community."

"Jeez, no wonder the kids wound so tight."

"I know." Casey smiles. "Would you like a beer? There's a documentary about the first Iraq war on the History Channel. Want to watch?"

"Only if you order a pizza first." Alex replies.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks for all of the feedback. It amazes me how many of the comments want to suggest how I should write my story. I've already finished about twenty chapters of this and think I know where its going.

The usual disclaimers apply.

**Chapter 3:**

Dinner with Ellie and Devon went well until Devon asked about Sarah. "I haven't seen Sarah around Chuck. Are you guys still on the outs?"

Chuck thought before speaking, choosing his words carefully. "She's gone Dev. Went back to her old job with her old boyfriend in DC."

The smile on Ellie's face immediately turned to concern. "I just can't believe it Chuck. I thought that she was the 'one' for you."

"So did I sis, so did I."

"What did she say? Did she tell you why?"

"No El, she left without a word. Not even a goodbye."

"Not awesome dude." Devon interjected.

"Well you still have us." Ellie replied as she rose from her seat at the table and walked to where Chuck was sitting, bent down and wrapped her arms around him in one of her fierce hugs. She sniffed, fighting back tears for him. "I love you little brother."

Chuck wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug with equal force. "I love you too sis."

The next month was pretty uneventful. The holidays came and went and Chuck avoided any contact with either Casey or Forest that wasn't directly part of a mission. Everything was going about as well as you could expect until the Lonne Kirk mission. Chuck and Alex had to pose as a wealthy couple attending a charity event to see if they could get some evidence of his involvement in a counterfeiting ring. Chuck, being a gentleman, was complimentary to agent Forest telling her honestly how lovely she looked in her formal attire. Alex was surprised at Chuck's shyness and blushed at his compliments. Casey, on the other hand did not appreciate Chuck making moves on his 'girl', even if it was just for the mission.

They worked their way through the room occasionally hugging, or whispering into each other's earpiece information about what they saw. To the others at the party, it would appear that they were merely being affectionate. Kirk had made his way to the roulette table and Casey was working as the operator. He called them over on his cuff microphone while Lonne sat there playing the wheel. Chuck and Alex made their way to the table and introduced themselves as Charles Carmichael and his 'date'.

Lonne had a lecherous smile on his lips as he took Alex's hand and kissed it. Forest feigned a smile and sat down between the two men as they tried to make idle chit-chat about his charity. Chuck deciding that he needed to convince Kirk that he had more money than brains, made a single $100,000 bet on a spin of the roulette wheel. Of course, he lost. Kirk was impressed that Chuck would make such a large bet on a single spin, told him so.

"It's only money. After all it's all for charity right?" Chuck replied with a smile as Casey grunted and stared daggers at him.

Chuck excused himself from the table, feigning the need to find the 'little boys room'. He asked Alex if she needed another drink and then walked off to do a little exploring on his own. Emboldened by Chuck's compliments and Kirk's leering glances, Alex decides to dust off her seduction skills, not used for the job in over a decade.

Alex turns to face Kirk looking into his eyes while gently placing her hand on his thigh. "So Lonne, tell me all about yourself. I find parties like this such a bore."

"What about your date?" Lonne asked, equally pleased and surprised at Alex's forwardness.

"What about him?" Alex replies casually as she gives Kirk's thigh a squeeze. "When I see something that I want, I go after it. He understands."

"Would you like to dance?" Lonne asks with a wink.

"I'd love to." Alex replies as she stands up finally releasing her hand from his thigh. Casey watches the entire event fighting back the urge to reach across the table to strangle Kirk and possibly agent Forest. The couple made their way to the dance floor where they held each other tightly and made small talk. Alex had her hair styled in such a manner that her ear wick was hidden from view. Both Chuck and Casey heard everything that Kirk said to Forest. Chuck smiled as he listened to Kirk try to seduce Alex as he worked his way through the room looking for anything to flash on. With the exception of a couple of bodyguards that had ties to the Taiwanese mob, there was nothing to tie Kirk to the counterfeiting ring.

Chuck continued to wander the room listening to Kirk until he had offered Alex a day on his yacht, which she accepted and they exchanged phone numbers. Right on queue, Chuck reappears on the dance floor feigning jealousy that his 'date' was making out with someone else. Forest played along acting as if she has no idea of what he is talking about, but getting louder as they spoke to draw attention to themselves. Chuck grabs her hand and drags her away from Lonne and out of the room.

They stayed in character as they made their way out of party and out to the limo that was waiting for them. Chuck opened the door for Alex and she climbed in, with him right behind. Chuck lowered the partition glass and gave the driver instructions for where to drop them off, then raised the privacy screen. He glanced at Alex and saw something that he had never seen before. She was smiling!

Never one to miss an opportunity to tease his 'handler', Chuck spoke. "Careful there agent Forest, if someone were to see you looking as lovely as you do in that dress and smiling like that, they'd mistake you for a real girl – a quite beautiful one at that."

Slightly embarrassed by the sincerity of Chuck's compliment, Alex leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek and a thank you. "You've seen my files. You know that I have been shuffled from one crappy assignment to another for nearly a decade. I had almost forgotten the rush from a mission." Chuck could only smile and they sat in silence as they rode to Casey's apartment where they would discuss their mission and options.

Chuck and Alex were drinking a beer and making small talk when the major arrived at his apartment about an hour later. Casey didn't like seeing the 'asset' and agent Forest getting along. He liked it better when they both could share their hatred of the 'moron'. Alex saw just how jealous Casey had become watching her 'work the mark'. This made her smile again. Seeing her smile only made the major more jealous.

The group sat at Casey's kitchen table and discussed the events of this evening. Chuck revealed what little information that he was able to gather and suggested that Alex continue to pursue working Kirk to gain access to his yacht.

"No one cares what you think moron!" Casey hissed at Chuck.

"I think Chuck's right John." Alex replied.

"It's too risky."

"Are you jealous?" Alex asked, fighting a grin.

Clearly flummoxed by Alex's question, Casey fumbles with words of denial. "No, no, no, not jealous, just concerned."

"If it was agent Walker instead of me, would you let her do this?"

Casey knew he was trapped and regardless of what he said he would be wrong. Rather than admit 'lady feelings', he simply grunted "Do whatever you want."

Chuck smiled. "Well, it's settled then. Casey can head off to the NSA station and see what type of surveillance goodies he can find. When you're on the boat with Kirk, the major and I will be a safe distance away keeping an eye on you and I'll be on the lookout for anything of interest."

The others nodded in agreement and Chuck rose from the table to make his way to the door.

Two days later Chuck and Casey were lying on the deck of a boat in the harbor watching agent Forest and Lonne Kirk sitting on the deck of his yacht. Alex had opted to wear a miniscule black bikini that left no doubt regarding her body. Casey watched with rapt attention as Alex and Lonne shared champagne and talked while Chuck watched the crew loading medical supplies on the boat. After a few minutes Lonne decided that Alex needed suntan lotion applied and he volunteered to help. Knowing that Casey was watching, Alex moaned encouragements to Kirk as he applied the lotion to her body. Casey practically crushed his binoculars as he watched. Chuck could only smile as he remembered how upset he used to get when Sarah had to seduce a mark while he watched and Casey laughed at him. Turnabout was fair play.

Chuck continued to scan the crates being loaded when he flashed. He nudged Casey and told him to send in the troops. They found what they were looking for. Within minutes, the yacht was surrounded with Federal agents and began a crate by crate search. Kirk grew more indignant and hostile with each crate they opened to find only medical supplies. Alex grew more skeptical of both Chuck's and Casey's real motives with each passing crate. They had opened nearly all of the crates before the one with the counterfeit plates was discovered. Chuck simply smiled at Alex and walked off of the yacht without a word. Casey took great pleasure in cuffing Kirk while he pleaded ignorance of the plates.

The next couple of weeks were peaceful with only an occasional surveillance job. Chuck followed all orders and both Casey and Forest seemed to be pleased. Bartowski arrived at work at his normal time and sat down at the Nerd Herd help desk doing the paperwork from the day before. Something caught his eye as sunlight reflected from one of the racks. Getting up to investigate, Chuck found that it was a listening device – a GLG-50, popular with the NSA. Chuck removed the bug from the rack and walked back to find Casey, who was returning from the locker room.

Chuck tossed the bug to Casey and commented. "You're getting sloppy Casey. I found this one and I wasn't even looking for it."

A look of panic appeared on Casey's face. "Where did you find this Chuck?"

"Out front. In the CD racks. It's a GLG-50 device. Used by the NSA."

"Yeah, but it's not the type we use." Casey's expression turns grim. GLG-50's are more sensitive, but are lower powered and require a secondary transmitter. Somebody suspects that something is going on here at the Buy More. They might know about you. We need to get out of here NOW and find out what Beckman and Graham want to do."

Casey grabbed Chuck by the arm and drug him out of the store by the loading dock in back. They ran across the lot to the major's Crown Vic and sped off before anyone in the store even realized that they were gone.

Minutes later, Chuck and Casey stood before a grim-faced general Beckman and director Graham. Casey explained everything that they knew about the situation and promised to investigate further to see if there was a mole in the Buy More. The general and director thanked Casey for the update and told them to stay where they were as they explored their 'options'. Chuck realized the life in a bunker was becoming more and more of a possibility with each passing minute.

The 30 minutes that elapsed between teleconferences seemed to take forever in Chuck's mind. Every scenario he ran in his mind always ended the same way – either in a bunker or an unmarked grave.. The general and the director both appeared before an attentive major and a defeated asset. Graham decided to speak first. "Mr Bartowski, we are keenly aware that you have been part of a program that you never asked for and have been asked to perform duties that you were never trained for." He paused to see if Chuck was paying attention.

The general decided to speak. "As you know, we are in the process of developing a new Intersect to replace the one destroyed by Agent Larkin. We had hoped to have it ready in the next few weeks, but continue to experience setbacks. We have, however successfully developed skill set modules that would greatly shorten the time required to train an agent and enhance their performance in the field.."

Chuck stood there emotionless and listened to the general talk, carefully weighing each word to see if there was another meaning being relayed. It was Graham who decided to speak again. "Chuck, you have two options – One, we can place you in 'protective custody' where you will be kept safe until we can figure out how to get the data out of your head, or Two, you agree to receive the Intersect update downloads with skill sets and become a full agent of the CIA and NSA.

"What about my sister, my friends?" Chuck spoke for the first time since the meeting began.

Beckman's expression softened after hearing Chuck's question. "With the first option, we would simply tell them a version of the truth – That you are in Witness Protection and can have no contact with anyone from your past. We wouldn't let them think that you were dead unless you felt that that option would be easier for them."

Graham decided to continue. "With option 2, you could tell your sister that you have taken a government job and have to leave immediately for training. You will be able to contact her provided you do not disclose any information regarding your real job. You may even to be able to visit."

"What happens to agent Forest and major Casey?" Chuck inquires.

"They will stay in Burbank until they complete their investigation. Once that is complete, they will move on to new assignments. An agent Longshore will be there to pick you up in three hours. Regardless of which option you choose, I suggest that you say your goodbyes now." The general replies.

"Have you made a decision Mr Bartowski?" Graham asks.

Chuck swallows hard before speaking, unsure of the words he is saying. "Yes, sir, mam, I choose option 2."

Beckman and Graham both smile at Chuck's choice. "Excellent, Mr Bartowski. The general and I will begin to make the necessary arrangements. Good luck."

Chuck started to thank them, but the monitor went blank before he got the chance.

"Well numb-, I mean Bartowski, you did it now. Who knows, you may actually survive your training and become an agent for the CIA. I doubt if you could make it in the NSA – our standards are higher." Casey smirked as he finished his barb.

"It wasn't like I had a choice really." Chuck replies.

"Gather up your crap that you can't live without and let's get you ready to go. Chop, chop Chuck."

The pair walked in silence across the courtyard to Chuck's apartment. He opened the front door and walked to his room while the major stood in the hallway offering him some privacy. Chuck looked around the room knowing that this could be the last time he'll ever see it again. He sighed as he walked to his closet to grab his duffel bag from the shelf. Chuck packed a few pairs of jeans, some t-shirts, a few pairs of socks and underwear, stuffing them into the bag. Grabbing his iPod from its dock, he pulled his earbuds from the dresser drawer and stuffed it into the bag also. He looked at the pictures of him and Sarah and debated if she should take them also. Chuck looked at their smiling faces in the pictures and for a brief moment believed that they were a real couple. Ellie believed it, Morgan believed it, hell, even Chuck believed it.

He carefully opened the framed picture of him and Sarah in her Princess Leia costume, removing it and placing it in one of the pockets in the side of the duffel bag. Rummaging through his dresser drawer, he found the blue velvet draw string bag and stuffed it into the same pocket of the bag. It was his only tie to his parents.

Sitting down at his desk, Chuck hastily composed two notes. The first to Ellie apologizing for his sudden departure, but assuring her that all would be well and this was the opportunity of a lifetime. The second was to Morgan telling him that they would always remain friends. He placed both letters in envelopes and sat them on the table in the kitchen addressed to the proper recipient.

"Longshore's here." Casey calmly stated. "It's time to go."

"I'm coming." Chuck replied as he walked to the door, bag in hand. "It's been an honor major." Chuck states solemnly as he stands at attention and salutes before walking out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN: All errors are my own. All disclaimers ****apply.**_

**Chapter 4:**

The ride to the airport is spent in near silence. After agent Longshore introduced himself as his companion that would accompany Chuck to Fort Meade for processing, he quietly drove the pair to the private jet waiting for them. Chuck stared out the black Suburban's tinted windows, taking in the sights and sounds of the city that had been his home for nearly his entire life. He knew that this could very well be the last time he ever sees Burbank, or his sister and felt the sense of loss for the first time.

Arriving at the private hangar, the pair exited the SUV, Chuck still clutching his bag as if it was his lifeline. Longshore swept Chuck's bag and his body for any devices that weren't supposed to be there. Luckily, there were none. They were inside the plane and in the air 10 minutes later. Chuck smiled, looking out the window of the jet as Burbank, and his old life, disappeared from view behind him. He pulled his iPod from his shirt pocket, plugged in his ear buds and decided to take a nap.

A little over four hours later, Chuck is awoken by Longshore, letting him know that they were ready to land. Fifteen minutes later the jet taxied into a hangar where another black suburban was waiting for him. With the time difference and the length of the flight, it was now 1:00 am on the east coast. Longshore rode in the back seat with Chuck as the driver took them to Fort Meade. Once on base, the driver stopped in front of the visiting officers quarters. As they exited the vehicle, the driver presented keys to their rooms and informed the pair that a driver would take them to meet General Beckman at 8:00 am. The pair thanked the driver and made their way to their respective rooms.

Agent Longshore met Chuck in front of the VOQ building at 7:45. Sure enough, another black suburban pulled in front of the building at 7:55 with another young driver. Chuck and the agent rode together in silence to the NSA headquarters in Washington, DC. Never being to the nation's capitol before, Chuck peered out the tinted window, taking in the sights. The SUV stopped in front of a brown, nondescript building that had a clear line of sight to the Washington monument. Chuck followed Longshore out the door of the car and into the lobby of the building. The agent flashed his credentials at the security checkpoint, surrendered his weapons and walked through the metal detector. Chuck followed Longshore through the metal detector, but is stopped as something triggered the alarm. Sheepishly, Chuck pulled his iPhone from his pocket as the suspected item that tripped the alarm. The checkpoint guard used the hand wand to verify that he was ok to go. Chuck smiled and followed Longshore to the elevator.

The ride in the elevator is spent in silence. Others on the elevator gave Chuck sideways glances as he is dressed in jeans, t-shirt and his Converse All-Stars – not the professional attire everyone else seemed to be wearing. Bartowski followed the agent out of the elevator and down a long corridor to the desk where the receptionist was sitting speaking to someone on the phone. The pair stood in silence until the receptionist ended her call and asked if she could help them.

"Special Agent Longshore and Charles Bartowski to see General Diane Beckman." The agent stated flatly.

The receptionist checked something on her monitor, then turned and smiled. "The general is expecting you. Please have a seat while I let her know that you have arrived." She gestured to the row of chairs against the walls that reminded Chuck of the waiting area at his doctor's office.

Bored, Chuck began to play with an app on his iPhone while Longshore pretended to read on of the magazines there. Thirty minutes after their arrival a young Air Force lieutenant walked up to the pair. "Agent Longshore, Mr Bartowski, the General is ready to see you now." The pair rose from their chairs and followed the Lieutenant back up the corridor. Opening the door they followed her past a desk to another office door which she knocked on and announced the arrival of her 'guests'.

Chuck could hear the General reply "Send them in." The young woman opened the door to the general's personnel office and gestured for them to enter. Walking into the room, Chuck saw the General sitting at her desk, talking on her phone. Her facial expression left no doubt that she was not pleased with what she was hearing. "Yes, major, I'll let the asset know what you have discovered." She stated and then hung up the phone.

Longshore stood at attention in front of the general's desk. Chuck mimicked the agents actions and posture. "Special agent Longshore and Charles Bartowski reporting as ordered mam."

"Excellent." The general replied. She then looked at the agent. "Thank you for your assistance agent. I need to speak to Mr Bartowski in private. Please wait outside my office." Longshore simply nodded, turned and walked out the door. The general returned her attention to Chuck. "Please sit down Mr Bartowski. We have a lot of ground to cover in a very short time." She gestured to the chairs facing her desk.

Chuck sat down cautiously sat down and glanced around the room. There were mementos everywhere of a long and distinguished career in service to this country. A framed photo on the bookcase behind the general caught his attention – it showed a much younger Diane Beckman standing beside a girl with long red hair and a dazzling smile holding some type of trophy. The smile on the general's face in the picture was one of pure love. The girl appeared to be only about 10 or eleven years old, yet was as tall as the general. Seeing her in person, Chuck realized just how petite the general actually was. In his mind, she had to be six feet tall and ate small children for breakfast. Chuck smiled at the thought.

"Something funny Mr Bartowski?" The general inquires, snapping him from his thoughts.

Chuck sat bolt upright in his seat and and replied. "No mam, I was just admiring the picture of you and the young girl."

Beckman's expression immediately softened, almost approaching a wistful smile. "That's Cassie, my daughter. She had just won the championship in her soccer league."

"It's a very nice picture mam." Chuck replied. He watched as the general schooled her features and returned to the matters at hand.

"Mr Bartowski, back to the reason you are here. I just spoke to major Casey and he informed me that there wasn't a mole in the Buy More planting the bugs. After reviewing the security tapes, it appears that a delivery girl working at the local pita shop was placing the devices in various locations throughout the store. So far, we have found 29 devices, but have yet to find the secondary transmitter. We suspect that the delivery girl was a Fulcrum agent and have tasked agent Forest and the major to bring her in."

"I've had several conversations with Director Graham and he's agreed that your training will be coordinated through me, but 'officially' you'll be identified as an agent for the CIA." Chuck nodded to acknowledge he was listening. "You will begin your official agent training at the Farm with the next class when it starts in two weeks. You will train with the other new recruits, but no one and I repeat no one, including your instructors is to know about the thing in your head. Understand?" Chuck nodded again and she continued. "You will have a slightly modified schedule that will allow you time every day to review mission reports and see if you flash on anything. You will have an agent shadowing you throughout training that will provide updates of your progress and protection. We can't be too careful – Fulcrum has infiltrated every branch of the intelligence community."

"You will be staying in the VOQ at Fort Meade until you begin your 'official' training program. The medical facility there has been setup to give you the Intersect updates and skill-set modules we discussed. We can give you smaller doses of data that way. Any questions?"

"How long will this training take?" Chuck inquired.

"Probably six months, assuming you pass everything on the first try. This will not be easy Mr Bartowski. If you're serious, I believe that you can succeed." She paused for a moment, taking a look at the way Chuck was dressed. "Two things – One, Chuck Bartowski is no more. From now on, you will go by the name Charles Carmichael. Understood?" Chuck simply nodded. "And two, an agent of the NSA or CIA is expected to look like a professional at all times. The beach bum look you sport may have been acceptable at a California Buy More, but here it won't cut it. I expect to see you looking like a professional the next time I see you. Agent Longshore can make arrangements for a proper haircut and wardrobe befitting an agent. That is all."

Beckman paused again as Chuck turned to walk out of her office. "Oh, agent Carmichael.." Chuck stopped and turned to face the diminutive General. "Good luck."

Chuck smiled and thanked the general before walking out of the door.

Longshore rose up from seat as Chuck exited the general's office. Chuck followed the agent to the elevator as he made a call on his phone for the driver to pick them up. He ended the call just as his phone chirped signaling an incoming text message. He read the message and smiled. "Looks like the general has assigned us with a mission agent Carmichael."

Surprised that Longshore addressed him as 'Agent Carmichael', Chuck decided to play it off. "Oh yeah? What would that be?"

Longshore chuckled "Our mission is to turn you into someone who looks like an agent of the NSA and not some clerk from a California electronics store."

Chuck clutched his chest, feigning hurt, "Ouch, that really hurts." he replies fighting a laugh.

The driver was waiting for them in front as they exited the NSA headquarters. Longshore gave the driver instructions for where to go and about 30 minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of a large mall. "I really hate shopping. So let's get this over as quickly and painlessly as possible." The agent smirked. Chuck nodded in agreement and they exited the SUV and made their way into the mall.

One hour later, Chuck is fitted for his sixth suit by the clothier's tailor. All were solid dark colors in either black, blue, grey, green and brown attire befitting an agent. A dozen dress shirts, half of which were white and an equal number of ties that would compliment the suits chosen. Longshore paid for the purchases and is assured that the suits would be ready for pickup in two days. The pair walked across the mall to the Macy's store and purchased shoes, socks, underwear, a sport coat and slacks that would hold him over until the suits were ready at the tailor.

The last stop was the hair salon where Chuck said goodbye to his unruly tangle of curls, replaced with a close-cropped hairstyle that made him look older and professional. Chuck smiled when he remembered how Ellie used to say how his hair made funny animal shapes when she thought that he needed a haircut. He sighed when he wondered if he'd ever see her again.

Chuck and Longshore decided to grab something to eat at the food court in the mall before returning to the base. The drive back to Fort Meade is spent largely in silence, Chuck taking in the sights from the window of the suburban. He seemed to be doing a lot of that recently. Before he realized it the SUV had stopped in front of the VOQ building. They exited the vehicle as the driver opened the rear lift-gate so they could remove all of the items purchased for Chuck. Carmichael thanked the driver and he walked with the agent into the building carrying the bags of clothes.

They stopped in front of Chuck's door and Longshore sat the bags at Carmichael's feet. "Well, Agent-in-training, you're on your own for now. You're free to roam the base provided that you heed the warnings for restricted areas. There are several cafeteria's on base and all are open 24 hours a day if you're hungry. There's a PX store to buy anything you may need while you're here and there's an officer's club not far where you can grab a beer and a steak. You have a meeting in the medical building tomorrow at 8:00 am. I'll pick you up here at 7:45. Ok?"

Chuck smiled and nodded as he thanked the agent for all of his help. Opening his door, Chuck started dragging in all of the bags of clothes he had, throwing them on the bed. For the first time he took a good look at the place that would serve as his home for the next two weeks. It reminded him of a room in a better quality hotel. There was a living area with a sofa, chair and desk. An armoire was placed between the living and sleeping areas. A decent sized flat screen TV sat inside and the drawers below served as the dresser. Chuck started taking the clothes out of the bags and either putting them in the drawers or hanging them up in the small closet area.

As it was only 3:00 pm, Chuck decided to seek out the PX and purchase a few food items to keep in his room like coffee and beer – the necessities. Slipping on the trench coat that he purchased, he walked out the door and down the street of the base. Chuck had forgotten that it was really cold in February in Washington DC. It rarely got below freezing in LA, Chuck didn't even own what could be considered a winter coat. Asking for directions he is told where to find the PX. Fort Meade was literally a stand alone city and the distance from the VOQ to the PX was considerable. Chuck figured that he could use the exercise anyway – he had no idea just how physically demanding the agent training would be.

20 minutes later he was standing outside of the PX. Once inside, he stood there in awe. It was like a Wal-Mart on steroids – virtually anything that you needed from food to clothing, to electronics was there and at discounted prices. Chuck found what he was looking for, made his purchases and started walking back to his temporary home. Even though it was only 4:30 the sun was already well on its way to the western horizon. It would be dark soon. Chuck increased his pace and was standing outside the VOQ building before he realized it. Back in his room, he placed the beer and half and half in the mini-fridge and the coffee by the small coffee-maker in the bathroom.

Moving the TV to the proper angle for viewing, Chuck plopped down on the small sofa and began channel surfing, hoping for something to kill some time. He soon grew bored, and decided to check out the officer's club. After a quick shower and shave, Chuck tried out some of the new clothes purchased earlier. Staring at the mirror, Chuck had to admit that he certainly looked different. He just wasn't sure if it was for the better. Soon he was out on the street, asking for directions. Luckily, the officer's club was only a block from his building.

A soldier stood at the entrance to the club checking credentials. Chuck flashed his visitor's ID badge issued at the gate and allowed in the club. Upon entering, Chuck is surprised to see that it looked much like any club. At one end of the building there was a small stage where live music played on the weekends, some Karaoke equipment, and a large area for dancing. Scanning the room he saw that there was an area with tables opposite a rather large and ornate bar. The walls are covered with sports and military pictures giving the place a 'lived in' feel. Chuck walked up to the bar, ordered a beer, and sat down, continuing to look around the room.

Even though it was early, the club was full and buzzing with noise. Most of the tables had groups engaged in discussions about their workday, discussing sports, or sharing gossip. It looked like everyone was having a good time. Chuck looked to his left and right along the bar and saw other young officers sitting alone, nursing their drinks and suddenly felt alone himself. This was a journey that he had to take by himself. There was no place for Ellie, Devon, or Morgan in it. All he could hope for is that they would be proud of him if they knew. _'Maybe Sarah would be too.'_ he thought.

A few minutes later, Chuck asked the bartender if the tables were reserved and that he would like to get dinner. He told Chuck no, that they were first-come first-serve and that he would send a waitress over with a menu once he found a spot. Chuck thanked him and put a tip in his jar as he walked to one of the smaller tables near the wall. He was still scoping out the room as the waitress dropped off his menu and asked if he needed another beer. He thanked her and ordered another. She smiled and walked off.

Soon she returned with his beer and asked if he was ready to order. Chuck asked what she recommended and she said the 16 ounce T-bone was their specialty. He smiled and said he would have that with a baked potato and small salad. She smiled and quickly walked away.

As he ordered his meal, a group of three women all dressed in business suits sat down a few tables away. Chuck didn't bother to really look at them as his thoughts are focused on 'updates' planned for him over the next two weeks. He couldn't ignore the voice of one of the women. He knew it from somewhere. Then came the flash and he looked up to confirm his suspicions. Sure enough, Carina Miller was sitting between a blonde and a brunette. It appeared that they were having a good debate and Chuck hoped that she wouldn't recognize him sitting there alone.

Chuck pretended to find something interesting to read on his iPhone as he waited for his meal, occasionally stealing a glance at the trio at the table. Chuck smiled as he watched a couple of young officers walk up to the table and offer to buy the women a drink. Carina whispered something into the ear of one of them, he blushed and quickly walked away dragging the other young man in tow. The trio laughed as Carina explained what she had said to him.

The waitress brought Chuck his meal and then walked over to the table with the three women to take their order. He focused on trying to eat his meal as quickly as possible and yet not draw attention to himself. The last thing he wanted to hear was a 'I told you so' from Carina. The flash he had on Carina was quite enlightening - not only was Carina Miller the DEA 'good time girl' she was also the daughter of none other than Diane Beckman!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Carina Miller sat at the table joking with two of her best friends, Zondra Rizzo and Amy McFadden. The officer's club at Fort Meade was not exactly the French Riviera or Rio, but being with her friends made it seem better. The only way it would be better is if Sarah Walker was there to complete the CAT Squad reunion. Carina then remembered the animosity between Sarah and Zondra that lead to the CAT squad being disbanded. She hoped that someday they may reconcile.

They were scoping out the 'prospects' in the club when a pair of young lieutenant's walked up to their table asking them if they could by a drink for the women. Zondra winked at Carina who whispered "Why not. The doctor says that my herpes sores are healing nicely." into the ear of the one young officer who spoke to them. His face turned pale and he grabbed his puzzled friend by the hand dragging him away as Carina gave the pair an innocent pout. As soon as they were out of sight, Carina burst into laughter and explained to the other women what she said. Zondra laughed, but Amy is appalled.

"How could you Carina? I thought the one was kind of cute and I have had a 'dry' spell." Amy exclaimed.

Carina could only laugh as she looked around the club for other talent. It was Zondra who spotted Chuck first - "Check out the guy pretending to look at his phone."

Amy snuck a glance and replied "He's kind of cute."

Carina was sitting at an angle that required her to turn her head to see the man in question. She acted as if she dropped something so she could turn and get a better look at the man. She thought that the face looked familiar, but in the low lighting of the club she couldn't be sure. He looked up from his phone for a second and his eyes met Carina's. She smiled as realization hit her. She turned back to her friends and laughed. "I know that guy!"

Amy scoffed, and Zondra laughed. "One of your previous conquests Carina?" Zondra inquired.

"Almost" Carina replied. A tinge of disappointment in her voice.

"So go talk to him." Amy suggests.

Carina turns to see the waitress bringing Chuck his dinner and frowns. "Maybe after he's through with dinner." The waitress walks to their table to take their order and they ask for more time to look at the menu. Carina grabbed the waitresses hand before she left and asked her to bring another beer to the gentleman she had just served. She smiled and walked away.

"Ok slut, spill it. How do you know Mr tall, dark, and handsome anyway?" Zondra teased.

Carina smiled. "A couple of months ago, I had a mission to 'recover' a diamond that was going to be used to fund terrorist activities in the middle east. A team from the CIA and NSA is assigned to 'assist' me. The team was composed of John Casey, Sarah Walker, and an asset named Chuck Bartowski." Both Amy and Zondra groaned at the mention of John Casey, aah'd at the mentioned of Walker and were puzzled at the mention of Chuck. "Bartowski must have been some sort of computer genius to justify having two handlers the caliber of Casey and Walker. He was a total nerd then, but I could tell that he was totally head over heels for Walker. You know how competitive Walker and I are so I decided to take Chuck for myself. I tried my best, but he was totally gone for Walker." Carina sighed. "He's the one that got away."

"Well Walker's not here. Now's your chance." Zondra smirked. She liked the idea of Carina taking something that Sarah wanted to punish her. She was still bitter that Sarah accused her of being a mole for Hector Ruiz.

Carina turned to look at Chuck's table just as the waitress brought him the drink she ordered. He looked at the trio, held up the beer and mouthed 'thank you'. The waitress made her way back to the table and asked the trio if they were ready to order, which they were. Carina finished her drink and decided to approach Chuck herself. Amy and Zondra hooted encouragements.

She walked up to his table and smiled. "Chuck Bartowski! Imagine meeting you here. Where's Walker?"

Chuck rose up from his seat. His expression was emotionless as he gestured for her to sit. "I'm sorry, you must have me mistaken for someone else. The name is Carmichael, Charles Carmichael. Agent Walker is working with her partner who made a miraculous return from the dead."

Carina is stunned. "Bryce is alive? I'm sorry Chuck. I wish I never told you about Larkin and Walker." She reached across the table and stroked his hand.

Chuck offered a sad smile. "Go ahead and say it. You told me so. I was too far gone. You told me the truth and I was too naïve to listen. I'm sorry."

"That's ok Chuck. I understand. Would you like to come over and meet my friends? They want to meet the 'one that got away'" She smiled and squeezed his hand.

Chuck rose up from his seat and grinned. "I'd love to meet your friends Cassandra Montgomery."

Carina stood there ashen faced. "How do you know my real name Chuck?"

"I know lots of things."

Chuck walked beside Carina back to the table to meet her friends. "Charles Carmichael, I'd like you to meet two of my best friends, Amy McFadden and Zondra Rizzo." Chuck reached across the table and shook Zondra's hand first. The flash was brief, but intense. He then shook Amy's hand. This time the flash was more intense and lasted longer. Carina saw Chuck's flash and thought there was something wrong. "Are you ok Chuck?" Carina asks.

Thinking quickly, Chuck replied. "Damn migraine. That's why I have an 8:00am appointment at the medical center tomorrow."

"Gee, that's too bad Chuck." Amy purred. "Please sit down Chuck. We've heard _her _side of the Carina meets Chuck story. It's time we hear the truth." Amy laughed as she gestured for him to sit. Carina was actually afraid at what Chuck would say given his revelation of her 'real' name only minutes before. Carina's fears were unnecessary.

Chuck sat at the table and told the pair about their 'mission' together. They laughed at the part where Chuck took the diamond and mailed it to General Beckman and Director Graham in a FedEx box. He did not divulge any details about her failed attempt at seducing him. "So how's Walker doing these days?" Amy asks.

Carina could see the pained look on his and Zondra's face. Chuck swallowed hard before responding, choosing his words carefully. "She left about a month ago. Sarah went back to be partners with Bryce again."

Amy and Zondra looked at each other stunned. "We thought Bryce was dead. Killed during a mission." Zondra stated softly.

"Someone brought Bryce back from the dead." Chuck stated flatly.

"So, are you still living in LA?" Carina asked.

"No, if I can resolve these 'head' issues, I start agent training in two weeks."

"Wow!" Amy exclaimed. "You must really be important for them to train an asset."

Chuck frowned. "No in reality, I think the opposite is true. They'd rather make me an agent than tie-up valuable agents like Sarah Walker and John Casey babysitting a lowly asset."

Carina grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I think that you're too modest Chuck." He offered a sad smile and looked out at couples dancing to music from the juke box. Chuck rose from his seat as he extended his hand to Carina.

"May I have this dance, Carina?" Chuck asks with a shy smile.

Carina grins as Zondra and Amy made cat-calls. "I'd love to." She replies.

They walk hand in hand to the dance floor as Chuck pulled Carina close to his chest in a warm embrace. At first Carina was tense and confused by Chuck's actions. Gradually, she relaxes in his embrace and sways along with the music. Chuck leaned over putting his mouth close to her ear. "I'm sorry for the subterfuge, but I needed to speak to you alone." Carina is confused, but nestled her head against his shoulder. "How well do you _really_ know Amy? I believe that she was working with Hector Ruiz, sending him information that kept you from arresting him."

Carina pulled back and looked Chuck in the eye. "How do you know this? Sarah thought that Zondra was working with Ruiz although we were never able to prove it."

"Trust me Cassie, I know." Chuck offered her a sincere smile. "Look into her financial records. I'll bet that she has a secret bank account somewhere. Oh, I think Cassandra is a beautiful name." and winked at her.

Carina could only blush at the sincerity of Chuck's compliment. "Thank you Chuck. I'll do some digging and see what I can find out about Amy. Maybe that will ease the tension between Zondra and Sarah. They haven't spoken in years." Carina watched as Chuck's smile disappear at the mention of Sarah. "I'm sorry Chuck. I didn't think.."

"It's not your fault Carina. You and Sarah are best friends. Just because she's back with her old partner doesn't change that. I'm sorry for making you feel bad."

Carina smiled. "Give me your phone." Chuck reached into his jacket pocket and took out his iPhone, handing it to her. She quickly started pressing keys and then placed an arm around Chuck holding the phone at arm's length away. "Smile, Chuck." Carina ordered him as she snapped a picture of the two of them together. Pleased with the results, she handed the phone back to him. "Now you have no excuse not to call me. Speaking of which, how long are you staying at Fort Meade?"

"Probably two weeks." Chuck replied.

"Do you have plans for dinner tomorrow?"

"No, but I'm not allowed to leave the base."

"Then it's settled. I'll meet you here at 7:00pm tomorrow for dinner, drinks, and dancing."

"You mean a date?" Chuck asked surprised.

"Exactly. I won't take no for an answer." Carina replied giving Chuck a flick of her finger against his forehead.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For making me have to do all of the work, that's why." Carina looked back at the table seeing Zondra and Amy grinning at her actions with Chuck. The pair pointed at the food on the table. 'Must have been brought out while they were dancing' Carina thought.

Chuck seeing the girls pointing at their food smiled at their actions. "You better get back to your 'friends'. Your dinner is getting cold and I'm not sure if I can handle any more physical abuse." He was laughing as he finished the last sentence.

Carina grinned and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek followed by another flick on the forehead. "Goodnight Chuck. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Carina." Chuck replies as he makes his way back to his table to settle his bill.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I own nothing and all mistakes are mine.**

**Chapter 6:**

At 7:45 am Chuck was standing in front of the VOQ building waiting for agent Longshore. Despite his anxiety regarding the ''upgrades' planned over the next two weeks, Chuck had a very good night's sleep with no nightmares. Seconds later another suburban pulls in front of the building and Longshore rolls down his window. "Get in agent Carmichael." Chuck smiles and offers a good morning to the agent as he climbs in the SUV. The ride to the medical center took less than two minutes and Chuck decided that he would ask if he could walk there from now on. 'I need the exercise anyway' he thought.

Chuck followed Longshore out of the vehicle and into the medical center and to the front desk where a MP is stationed. The agent flashed his credentials and signed in for the two of them. The MP motioned to the elevator at the end of the hall and handed him a special pass-key that would allow them access. Getting in the elevator, Longshore inserted the pass-key into the reader and pressed the door closed button. The elevator door closed and descended down several floors below ground before stopping.

The doors opened and the pair walked out to another desk with a MP sitting there. Longshore explained who they were supposed to meet and is told to wait. The MP picked up his phone and made a brief call. Two minutes later a young woman in a lab coat greeted the pair. She smiled and introduced herself to the pair. "Agent Longshore, this procedure will take the better part of the morning to complete. You can either wait here.." She gestures to the waiting area near the MP station, "Or, you can go upstairs to the cafeteria. We'll give you a call before Mr Carmichael is ready to leave."

Longshore thanked the doctor and started to walk back to the elevator. He turned to face Chuck before leaving. "Good luck Mr Carmichael. I'll see you in a while." Chuck simply smiled and thanked him for his help.

Chuck and the doctor started walking down the corridor side by side when she suddenly stopped, chastising herself. "Where are my manners?" She extended her hand to Chuck. "I'm Dr. Emily Winters, lead neurologist for Project Intersect. It's an honor to finally meet you."

He reached for her hand to shake when the flash hit him. It was relatively mild as flashes go and Chuck could only smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Emily Winters, graduated at the top of your class from Northwestern university, employee of the NSA for the last 5 years, and currently the lead researcher for the Intersect project." Chuck took his first real look at the young woman. He would have never guessed that she was six years older than him. She reminded him of a dark blonde version of Jill Roberts, his college sweetheart that decided Bryce was better for her than him.

Emily at first is concerned seeing Chuck flash, but after he recited details about her personal life from her NSA records the expression changed to awe. "How did you do that?" Emily inquired.

Chuck simply tapped his head with his finger. "Oh, I would have never guessed that you were 33 years old. You look much younger than that." Dr Winters could only blush and covered her smile with her hand as they continued their walk.

Soon they were inside her private office. Emily motioned for Chuck to sit down as she walked around the desk to her chair. "Mr Carmichael, we have a busy, and hopefully successful two weeks planned for you. The first thing we would like to do is perform a complete physical examination on you to establish a baseline for comparison. That will take the better part of the morning. I'd like to follow that with a small update download. Is that ok Mr. Carmichael?"

"Chuck, please call me Chuck, Dr Winters." He replied.

Dr Winters smiled and answers. "Call me Emily, Chuck."

They walked out of her office and down the hall to what appeared to be a large examination room. She opened the door and gestured for him to come inside. Tossing him an examination gown from the shelf she instructed. "You know the drill. Strip off to your shorts and put on the gown. I'll be waiting outside the door. Give it a knock when you're ready." Chuck simply nodded his head in acknowledgment as she left the room.

Minutes, later there appeared to be a team of doctors and nurses poking and prodding Chuck from every conceivable angle. They took blood and urine samples. Performed breathing and resting EKG tests, Checked his blood pressure and pulse rates, and measured his height and weight. A technician quizzed Chuck for his medical history, particularly interested in any childhood illnesses or injuries. Other than normal children's illnesses like measles and mumps, Chuck had never visited the doctor. The team was fast and extremely efficient. They were done in little over 2 hours. The medical staff left the room as Dr Winters commented, "That wasn't so bad, was it? Get dressed. There's one more doctor that you need to see." Chuck offered a sheepish smile and she turned to walk out the door so he could dress in private.

At the other end of the corridor Dr Winters knocked on the door marked Dr Samuel Bowman. Someone on the other side ordered her to enter and she opened the door. One glance around the room and Chuck knew that Dr Bowman was a psychiatrist. Emily introduced the two and then exited, assuring Chuck that she would meet him once he was through with his session. Chuck thanked her and then sat down on the sofa as instructed to by the doctor.

90 minutes later, Emily knocked and then opened the door to Dr Bowman's office. Chuck was shaking the doctors hand and thanking him for his help. The doctor patted him on the shoulder and told him that everything would be ok. Soon, Chuck and Emily were out of his office and he opened his laptop to begin putting together Chuck's psychological profile for Dr Winters. He was sure that general Beckman would have more than a passing interest in it also.

They were walking back up the corridor towards the elevators when Dr Winters stopped to look at Chuck. "It's nearly noon. Would you like something to eat? There's a cafeteria on the main level."

Chuck smiled and replied "sure. I could eat." They rode the elevator up and walked into the cafeteria. Grabbing their food, Emily flashed her card to the cashier as they carried their trays to a table near the wall.

Emily is fascinated by Intersect and exactly how it functioned. "When I shook your hand this morning, I noticed that your eyes fluttered and your whole body seemed to spasm. Was that the Intersect?"

"Yeah, it kind of takes control of my whole body. I've tried to learn how to disguise it as much as I can." Chuck replied.

"Does it hurt when you flash?"

"Yeah. When I flashed on you this morning, it was very quick and very mild. A very sharp pain that quickly went away. Other times, when that flash contains more information and lasts longer, the pain is more pronounced and takes a lot longer to dissipate."

"Can you describe the pain when you have a large flash?" She asked.

"Imagine having your head in a vise, while having an ice-cream headache."

"That sounds awful. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. You didn't send me this thing in the first place." Chuck stated flatly.

"But I'm not sure if this will make things better or worse for you." She reached across the table to give his hand a gentle squeeze and offered a sincere, sad smile. Chuck thanked her for her concern and returned to eating his lunch. They sat there in silence for the next few minutes as they finished their meals. Glancing up at the clock, Dr Winters noticed that it was nearly 1:00 pm. "Time to go Chuck." Emily announced as she rose from her seat, tray in hand. Chuck got up from the table with his remnants and followed her to the rack where they deposited their trays.

Exiting the elevator, Chuck followed the doctor down the hallway to another room. There was another room inside this room with a wall of one way glass for observation. Along this wall was a console with various controls and monitoring devices. Chuck is introduced to a pair of technicians that would be administering the download and monitoring progress. The technicians followed Chuck who was following Dr Winters into the download room. Located in the middle of the stark, all white room was what appeared to be a modified dentists chair. Emily motioned for him to take a seat.

Chuck became very nervous seeing all of the restraints attached to the chair. "Really?" he asked.

"They're for your protection and to assure the accuracy of the readings we are collecting." She replied.

"My protection?"

"We have no way of knowing how your body will react to the download. That's why we are monitoring your heart-rate, your blood pressure and your brain's activity during the download. What do you remember about the original download?"

"Not much. I lost all track of time and passed out sometime afterwards."

"Do you remember how long you were unconscious?"

"Not really. All I remember was Morgan waking me up telling me that I was going to be late for work."

"Morgan?"

"My best friend since childhood – doesn't matter."

"Do you remember how you felt when you came to?"

"Groggy. Kind of like a mild hangover."

Emily continued to take notes and the technicians continued hooking up the monitoring equipment as they discussed Chuck's experience with the initial Intersect download. She smiled at Chuck as the technicians gave a 'thumbs up' that everything was ready to go. "I'll see you in a little while Chuck." Emily grinned as she followed the technicians out of the room, closing the door.

A minute or two later, a voice came over the room's speaker telling Chuck that they were ready to go. He feigned a smile and returned the 'thumbs up'. Despite knowing what was about to happen, Chuck couldn't help but be apprehensive.

The lighting in the room slowly dimmed as he heard someone say 'showtime' over the speaker. Soon the room was filled with images flashing one after the other in blinding succession. Chuck's eyes fluttered and body shook as he looked at the images. Outside the room, Dr winters and the two technicians watched the download while wearing their protective glasses. His pulse rate and blood pressure rose slowly during the download. Neither were approaching a dangerous level.

His EEG, on the other hand, indicated neural activity like nothing she had ever seen. It was as if his brain was processing every bit of information simultaneously. The whole download lasted for ten minutes, but it appeared that his brain was still functioning at the same level for several minutes afterwards. His blood pressure and heart rate returned to normal levels almost immediately after the download ended. Removing her protective glasses, she looked back into the download room to see an almost smiling Chuck sound asleep in the chair.

The trio watched as the brain activity began to slow down gradually, finally returning to a normal level about 15 minutes later. Chuck began to wake from his unconscious state and the technicians began to remove his restraints. "How did I do?" Chuck inquired.

"Excellent." Emily replied. "How are you feeling?"

"A little groggy, but not too bad."

"Headache?" Chuck nodded and held up his hand with his finger and thumb a small distance apart to indicate a little bit. She smiled and said "Let me get you a couple of aspirin."

Less than a minute later one of the technicians returned to the room with a couple of aspirin and a bottle of water. Chuck took them from his hand and thanked him. He gulped down the pills and chugged the water, nearly draining the bottle.

"Care to take the update for a spin?" Dr Winters smiled as she patted a manila envelope she was holding.

"Sure, why not?" Chuck replied.

The technicians had returned to their monitoring equipment outside the download room as Emily began to show the pictures to Chuck. He had no reaction to the first couple of pictures. The next picture brought about an intensive flash. Chuck described in vivid detail the information contained in the flash. This continued for the next 20 minutes as she completed the pile of pictures. She was amazed. Chuck was correct on 100% of the pictures and the information that he provided was nearly as high for accuracy.

"That was incredible. You are incredible." Dr Winters spoke softly, as if to herself.

Chuck blushed at her compliment. "I am unique." He commented, feigning false bravado.

"That you are Chuck. That you are. Let me get all of this monitoring equipment off of you and you're done for the day." Emily paused not sure if she should ask, but deciding to anyway. "Any plans for tonight?"

Chuck coughed, surprised by the shy way Dr Winters asked the question. "Yeah, I'm having dinner with an old friend."

She is surprised because everything that she read in his file and mission reports would indicate that he had no contact with anyone that may be at Fort Meade at this time. "You know someone here at the base?"

"She's here for some training exercise." Chuck replies seeing her visually deflate at the mention of his dinner friend being female. He decided to elaborate, hoping that it would help. "We worked a mission together a while ago and she was my handlers best friend. I think that she wants to see what I know about her."

Somewhat placated by Chuck's explanation, she smiles and offers to walk him back to the main lobby. Chuck thanks her for her offer as they walk to the elevator that will return him to the lobby. "There's a driver out front here that will take you back to the VOQ. A driver will be waiting for you there tomorrow to pick you up and bring you here."

"What about agent Longshore?" Chuck inquires.

"I think that you're on your own. Don't worry Chuck, you're safe here. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night Dr Winters."

It's Emily, Chuck."

"Goodnight Emily."

"Goodnight Chuck."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Chuck glanced at his wristwatch as he finished dressing for his dinner with Carina. Part of him was happy to see her, but another part was dreading the inevitable interrogation regarding Sarah's departure and his knowledge of her personal information. He figured that he had enough time to walk to the officers' club and have a beer before Carina's arrival.

Chuck showed his ID to the man at the door and made his way back to the bar glancing around the room to see if there were any familiar faces. He made his way to the bar and ordered a beer while checking his watch. It was 6:50 – Carina wasn't due for another 10 minutes at least. His thoughts drifted off to the events earlier today. He was happy that the Intersect update download went well and hoped the subsequent ones go as smoothly.

He heard her voice before he saw her. "Charles, Darling!" Carina calls out as she walks up to where he is seated at the bar. Chuck stood and she wrapped herself around him in a tight hug. "So how did your tests go?" Carina inquired.

Chuck smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Ok I guess. So how was your day? Can I buy you a drink?"

"In a word, boring. And yes, I'd love a drink." She saw what Chuck was drinking and gestured to the bartender. "Oh barkeep, two of those – one for me and one for my date." She gestured to Chuck's beer and smiled.

"Would you like to get a table?" Chuck asked and Carina smiled and nodded. He grabbed both of their beers and walked with her to the same table he sat at last night. Setting the beers on the table, he pulled out Carina's chair for her and motioned for her to sit.

"Wow, a gentleman." Carina smirked. "Your mother must be proud."

"I wouldn't know. My mother left when I was 9."

"Jeez, Chuck, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"That's ok. My sister would appreciate your compliment. She raised me. Let's change the subject to something less depressing. How much longer are you stuck here at Fort Meade?" Chuck smiled as he asked.

"My training session is over tomorrow. I'll be staying in DC until I receive a new assignment."

"Do you normally have solo missions?"

"Most of the time yes, but I've worked with partners or a team when necessary."

They continued to try to make small talk, but Carina had several questions and only Chuck could provide the answers. Just as she started to speak, the waitress came up to take their order. Carina smiled at the waitress and asked for more time as they hadn't looked at the menu yet. She turned and walked away.

"How did you know about Amy working for Ruiz?" Carina blurted.

"What did you find out?"

"I had my contacts with the NSA do a little digging and they found two off-shore accounts in the names of alias' that she has used over the years. How did you know?"

Unable to tell Carina about the Intersect, Chuck decides to tell a half truth. "I came across some intelligence documents and was able to put 2 plus 2 together and came up with Amy as the likely suspect."

"Why were you looking at mission reports from 3 years ago?"

"It's what I do. They send me mission reports and I try to find connections. It's what I do." Chuck replied.

Carina always assumed that Chuck had some special skill to justify having two handlers the caliber of Sarah Walker and John Casey. The skills that he demonstrated on the diamond mission supported that assumption. Somewhat placated by Chuck's explanation, Carina decided to let the matter drop.

"So how did you know my real name?"

Chuck smiled this time. "Nothing magical there. I saw your picture in your mother's office yesterday."

"Did she tell you? I didn't think that she had any pictures of me as an adult."

"It was a picture of you and her together. You must have been 10 or 11 at the time. You were holding a trophy and smiling. Your mother was looking at you with an expression of unconditional love. She saw me admiring the picture and told me that it was her daughter Cassie."

Carina offered a sad smile. "I was 10 and already as tall as mother. I had just won the championship in the soccer league. I went off to boarding school that fall and never really returned home. Mother had her career and dad.. Well he was never around."

Chuck reached across the table and took her hand, caressing it slowly. "Jeez Carina, I'm sorry. I had no idea." Chuck paused thinking that if he shared another painful parental memory, it would lighten to mood. "Did I tell you that my father abandoned my sister and I on my 15th birthday? I don't know if that makes us even, but we both have more than our fair share of parental angst."

Carina had to smile at Chuck's confession. "Ok, ok you win. We both had absentee parents and abandonment issues. Change the subject please?"

"Did I tell you how lovely you look tonight?"

"No you didn't, but thank you for the compliment."

They agreed to finally look at the menus and decide what they were having for dinner before the waitress came back again. They managed to make small talk until the server came to take their orders, then sat there in awkward silence for several minutes. Deciding to fall on the sword, Chuck spoke first.

"I'm sorry Carina. I must be the worst dinner companion you've ever had. I know you want to ask about her so go ahead. I'll answer anything I can."

Carina smiled. "I have to admit, it was a lot easier to talk to you when all I wanted to do was seduce you. It was so easy to make you blush."

Feigning hurt Chuck replied. "Does that mean that you don't want to seduce me? I'm hurt."

"No, it's not that at all. After being with you in Burbank, I wanted to see what it would be like to go on a 'normal' date. Just a guy and a girl. No missions. No hidden agendas." Carina sighed. "I guess that I'm not cut out for normal."

"No, you're not normal.. You're a beautiful, kick-ass, DEA agent who has always told me the truth. I've only had one date in the last five years that wasn't part of a mission, so I have no way of knowing how a 'normal' date is supposed to go." Chuck replied looking into her eyes to convey his sincerity.

The server brought out their meals and they ate in comfortable silence. As he was almost finished, Chuck decided to answer Carina's unasked questions. "After the diamond mission, Sarah had an op where we were injected with a truth serum. I told her exactly how I felt and asked her if she felt the same. Sarah told me that there could never be anything between us while still under the truth serum." Chuck had a look of defeat as he finished the statement and Carina fought the urge to smile. She knew that Sarah was trained to resist truth serum.

Chuck continued to speak. "After Sarah told me that I had no chance, I told her that we needed to break up our cover boyfriend/girlfriend arrangement. I needed to have the chance to pursue a normal relationship with a woman. I started dating a girl who owned the deli in the plaza. Our first date went great and I was actually happy. Then I met her ex and it all fell apart. It turns out his family was involved in arms smuggling.

"The agency decided that they needed to investigate the ex and decided that I needed to use my relationship with the girl to gain access. She couldn't understand why I was suddenly so interested in her ex and it caused unnecessary strain between us. Our surveillance of her and her ex showed to two of them picking up a crate at the dock. I confronted them and found out that he was smuggling deli meats into the country for her, not weapons. Needless to say, that pretty much killed any chance that I had with her.

Carina stifled a laugh at the thought of Chuck finding deli meats instead of weapons. "So what happened next?"

"They were smuggling weapons and what we thought was a bomb. Sarah and I were alone in the room with the 'bomb'. I was desperately trying to defuse the timer with no luck. Sarah and I were standing there in front of the bomb, both of us expecting to die and then it happened.."

Carina was listening with rapt attention. "Don't leave me hanging Chuck. What happened?"

Chuck offered a melancholy smile. "She kissed me. Not a cover kiss. A kiss with more passion than I ever felt in my life. The timer went to zero and nothing happened. We stood there frozen staring at each other for a minute before realizing we weren't going to die. It took another minute before she returned to agent mode telling me how the kiss was a huge mistake and how we will never speak of it again."

"So what happened with the bomb?"

"Turns out, it wasn't a bomb at all. It was a special hyperbaric chamber carrying a body in a coma like state. The body in the container was none other than Bryce Larkin." Carina gasped when she heard this, but Chuck continued speaking. "It seems that after Casey 'killed' Bryce, agents from Fulcrum took Bryce to one of their special medical facilities. They thought that Bryce had information that would help them take over the CIA and the NSA." Chuck was intentionally vague about Intersect. "We managed to take down the agents trying to capture Larkin. He was exonerated by the CIA and returned to field agent status. Director Graham felt he owed Sarah for her efforts working with Casey and I and let her choose if she wanted to become Bryce's partner again."

"Sarah left that night without a word to either Casey or myself. In fact we didn't find out until the general told us the next day."

Carina reached across the table and took his hand in hers. "I'm sorry Chuck that she left that way, but I told you that she had a history with Bryce that went farther than being partners."

"You were right. You warned me that Sarah was simply doing her job and not to read anything that wasn't really true." He paused before continuing. "When it came to Bryce, I always came in second."

Carina is surprised by his statement. "Always?"

"Oh you don't know. Bryce Larkin was my best friend and frat brother at Stanford until he set me up as a cheat and got me expelled during my final semester. I was 12 credits short of graduating. To add insult to injury, he decided to sleep with my girlfriend of 3 years. Then 5 years later, he decides to send me information that will keep me a slave to the intelligence community for the rest of my life, however long that may be. Then the icing on the cake was to find out that my handler just happened to be his partner and lover."

Carina is shocked by the revelation about Bryce. "I'm sorry Chuck. You must really hate Larkin."

Chuck can only offer an ironic smile. "First of all Carina, you have nothing to be sorry for. You told me the truth even though I didn't want to believe it. And no, I don't hate Larkin. He always got the girls so me losing out to him is no surprise. I found out recently that he knew that the CIA wanted to recruit me while I was at Stanford. He was convinced that I was too weak for the life and had me expelled to 'protect' me. So here I am 5 years later and I'm about to start training as an agent. I lost 5 years delaying the inevitable."

Carina could only sigh and give his hand a gentle squeeze. "Did Sarah know about what Bryce did to you?" Chuck simply nodded. "And she went back to him anyway? She must care for Larkin more than she ever let on to me." She then smiled and gave Chuck's hand a tug so he would look at her. "Personally, I think she chose the wrong guy."

Chuck could only feign a smile. "Thank you. I'm sorry for being such a bad date, but I knew that there were questions that you wanted answers to."

Carina winked at him as she glanced to the dance floor seeing other couples moving to the music from the juke box. "Well the date's not over yet. There's still a chance to save this thing. If you're up to it. Let's dance.."

Chuck rises from his seat still holding her had and smiling. "I'd love to dance with you.."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Dr Emily Winters sat on her sofa with a glass of wine and a stack of papers. The physical data collected from Agent Carmichael would take her team weeks to analyze. She is amazed at the accuracy of Chuck's flashes and wondered if the 'enhancement' downloads would be as successful.

She opened the laptop on her coffee table and began to review the video of the download, the recovery, and the follow-up tests. She watched his body language and mannerisms as he flashed tried to measure recovery times for each flash to determine if there was any common denominator. Emily smiled as she watched the easy-going manner that Chuck exhibited. 'He truly has no idea just how unique he is' she thought.

She poured another glass of wine before she started to read the psychological evaluation from Dr Bowman.

_Subject suffers from serious self-esteem issues that have been re-enforced throughout his life by abandonment and betrayal by family and friends. The subjects mother left without a word at the age of nine. His father left in a similar manner on his fifteenth birthday, leaving his teenaged sister to raise him. The subject adores his sister who served as a parent to him more than a sibling. Despite these obstacles, the subject was a model student, earning a full scholarship to Stanford in electrical engineering and computer sciences. _

_At Stanford the patient excelled, making the deans list every semester except for one. During his final semester, his scores for subliminal information recognition were the highest ever measured. Unbeknownst to the patient, the class's main purpose was to find candidates for the joint agency Omaha project. His fraternity brother and best friend, Bryce Larkin, had already been recruited by the CIA the previous year. Fearing that the subject did not have the skills necessary to become an agent, Bryce Larkin and Professor Fleming conspired to invalidate his test scores by framing him for cheating. He was expelled without a proper academic review as the patient left the school the same day. _

Dr Winters gasped as she read the story of abandonment and betrayal as she took another sip of her drink and rubbed her eyes.

_The subject returned to Stanford weeks later to try to plead his case with his long time girlfriend, who like the others believed the accusations, only to find out that she was now dating Mr Larkin. The next five years were spent in a self-imposed exile, working at a retail electronics store with his best friend and living with his sister. Mr Larkin 'stole' the intersect program and sent it to the subject hidden in an encrypted email. The subject then accidentally downloaded the stolen Intersect files. Two agents, one from the CIA and another from the NSA were sent to 'handle' the asset. The female agent was instructed to pursue a cover relationship with the asset to gain access to his family and friends._

_The subject misinterpreted the agents actions as something other than 'for the cover' and developed an emotional attachment. Despite continuous assurances by the agent that there was nothing 'real' about their relationship, the subject still clung to a slight hope. This continued until a mission where another agent informed the subject that his handler was a former partner, and lover of Bryce Larkin._

_Unable to address the perceived betrayal by his handler (She knew that Bryce had betrayed Chuck and sent him the Intersect), the subject requested that they end their 'cover' relationship so that he could pursue a real one. The subject began dating a local business owner whose ex-boyfriend was suspected of arms smuggling. He was ordered to use his relationship with the woman to gain access to the ex-boyfriend. Interference by his handler under the guise of 'protecting the asset' resulted in the subject and the woman parting ways. _

_The subject was successful in establishing ties with the ex-boyfriend and his family being involved in arms smuggling. They were also smuggling human cargo in a hyperbaric chamber, that appeared to be an explosive device complete with timer. The person in the chamber was agent Larkin who had been cared for by Fulcrum agents mistakenly assuming that he had downloaded the Intersect. After rescuing Agent Larkin from Fulcrum, the subject's handler was given the choice of returning to her former partner, which she accepted. This action re-enforced the subject's low self-esteem issues as an another abandonment by his handler and another betrayal by his one-time friend._

_Despite everything that has happened, the subject continues to seek the good in everyone. He remains fiercely loyal to family and friends. Several times during missions he placed himself in harm's way to protect his team mates. The subject may be willing to sacrifice himself to protect others, but I am concerned that he would not be willing to do so to protect himself. Continued monitoring is suggested to assure that he doesn't become a danger to himself._

_This profile was complied from direct questioning of the subject, mission reports and interviews with Major John Casey NSA, and Special Agent Alex Forest, the subjects former handlers. Agent Sarah Walker CIA, his original handler, and Bryce Larkin were unavailable for interview. _

Emily closed the laptop and rubbed her tired eyes. It was obvious to her that Chuck was far too good of a person to be a spy, especially one that could become the most valuable asset to entire intelligence community. She knew that she needed to work closely with Dr Bowman to make sure that whatever training the general had planned for Chuck, they do nothing to further erode his low self-esteem. The key to his survival as an agent is the need for self-preservation. Dr Winters seriously doubted that Chuck would ever put his own needs before that of a teammate or partner. She needed to speak to Agent Walker somehow. Maybe the general could arrange something...

Back at the officer's club, the mood of the couple seemed to improve with each dance. Carina enjoyed dancing with Chuck. He held her as if she was fine china, afraid she would break. This was something new to her. Most of her 'dates' had only one thing on their mind. She knew that Chuck appreciated her assets by the not so subtle glances he'd make when she thought that she wasn't looking. Carina smiled to herself at the thought of his shyness.

The music stopped and Chuck glanced at his watch as they walked back to their table. Finishing their drinks, Chuck spoke first. "I really enjoyed myself tonight."

Carina offered a wry smile. "Well things started off pretty badly, but I have to admit, you came through in the end.."

"Must have been my dancing skills." Chuck replied as he took the last drink from his beer. "I think that my beautiful partner had more to do with that."

Carina nearly blushed at his sincere compliment. Her smile turned to a seductive purr. "The night's still young. You could always come back to my place and maybe I could make up for the last time.."

It was Chuck's turn to blush. "As attractive as your offer sounds, I really have to be up early tomorrow for more tests and I need to be in top form. I can't imagine any scenario where being with you for the evening wouldn't leave me a basket case the following day. Not that I would want it any other way.." He smiled and winked at her as he made the last statement.

"You have a pretty high opinion of your abilities Mr Carmichael." Carina smirked.

"Not really, a woman like you demands nothing less than my best effort.." Chuck looked back at his watch. "I really need to be going. Maybe we can see each other after my testing is complete?"

"I'd like that Chuck. I have to admit that you've piqued my curiosity.. My training ends tomorrow here and I go back home until my next assignment. I have no idea when or where I'll be going." Carina's features softened as she continued. "You've got my number. When you have some free time, give me a call and well see what happens.."

"I'd like that. And Carina?" She looked into his eyes. "Thank you for being a friend. You know how hard it is in this business to have friends and I think of you as one."

Carina could only smile and say. "Thank you. I'd like you to be my friend too." She rose up from her seat and leaned across the table to plant a gentle kiss on Chuck's cheek. Taking his hand, the pair walked out of the club and out into the cold night.

"Can I walk you home? I know it sounds corny, but that's just the way I am." Chuck inquires.

"Sure, why not?"

"Where are you staying?"

"VOQ, just around the corner."

Chuck can only laugh. "So we're staying in the same place?"

They walked together in comfortable silence. Before either realized it, they were standing outside the VOQ building. "Well, here we are." Chuck sighed.

"My offer still stands if you want to come up to my place." Carina replies.

"You have no idea how tempted that I am. But I really need to be ready for tomorrow tests."

"That's ok Chuck, I understand.. Sort of.." Carina winks.

Chuck has to smile at her comment and draws her into his arm for a big, Ellie like hug. Carina looks into his eyes as he leans down and proceeds to kiss her gently. She returns the kiss while placing her hand behind his head, pulling him closer to her as she ups the intensity. Her lips parting as she presses her tongue against his lips, demanding entrance. Chuck moves one of his hands from her back to the back of her head while opening his mouth to return the kiss with equal passion. The lack of oxygen soon caused the two of them to part – a look of amazement in both of their eyes.

"Wow. That was incredible." Chuck smiled shyly.

"Chuuuccckk." Carina moaned his name as if it was ten syllables long. "Not fair. You don't kiss a woman like that and then tell her you have to go home.. Alone."

"Maybe they'll let me out of here this weekend – if I'm in the 'custody' of a federal agent to keep an eye one me.."

"I don't know if they'd allow-" Carina's comment was cut short as Chuck brought her to him for another kiss, this time with a little less passion, but nearly equal in intensity. She pulled back trying to give him a stern look, but seeing the innocent smile on Chuck's face had to smile herself. "Ok, ok we'll see what happens."

"Good. I'll let you know if they allow it.. If you're available." Chuck smiles as he pulls her back to his body and places a gentle kiss on her lips. "Goodnight Carina. Sweet dreams." He turned and started walking down the hall to his room, leaving a stunned, but still smiling DEA seductress in his wake."

"Goodnight Chuck." She whispered as he walked away. 'Walker must have really been in love with Larkin to resist Chuck's charms.' Carina thought to herself as she walked down the hall in the opposite direction to her room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Chuck woke to the sound of the alarm buzzing on his iPhone. He smiled as he pressed the button to stop the noise. His sleep was filled with dreams of a beautiful DEA agent and himself lying on a white sand beach in their swimsuits and drinking fancy drinks with umbrellas. He could only chuckle to himself as he thought just how wrong he had been in judging Carina the first time they met. He saw her as only a seductress with one goal – to take something away that Sarah wanted. 'The joke would have been on her because Sarah never wanted him. She had made that crystal clear and the proof was in the way she left without a word.' He thought.

Walking to the bathroom, he filled the small coffee pot with water from the sink. Filling the coffee-maker with the water and adding coffee to the filter in the basket, he started the pot. He started the shower and returned to the sink where he brushed his teeth and shaved. The shower had warmed up sufficiently during this time, allowing him to finish in a few minutes. Drying off, he put on his deodorant and cologne as he filled his cup with the freshly brewed coffee. Chuck walked to the mini-fridge and added enough half and half to suit his needs as he started dressing. Sometime during his date, his suits had been left in his room. He decided on a dark grey one to wear. Adjusting his tie, Chuck looked at his reflection in the full length mirror hanging on the bathroom door. He truly looked like he _could_ be an agent of the NSA. Chuck could only laugh at that thought.

Shoving his phone in his pocket, he turned off the lights in his room and walked out where the driver would be waiting for him. Sure enough the black suburban was waiting. Chuck climbed in the passenger side and greeted the driver. A couple of minutes later the SUV stopped in front of the Medical Center. Chuck thanked the driver and made his way to the security checkpoint. He showed the MP his credentials and was given the keycard needed to take the elevator to the proper floor. Getting on the elevator he inserted the keycard the same way Longshore did the day before and waited until it stopped. He pulled his keycard from the reader as he exited the elevator. He flashed his credentials to the MP at the security station and is waved through. He walked down the hall and knocked on the door of Dr Winters.

As he opened the door as instructed, he is greeted by a smiling Dr. Winters. "Good morning Chuck. I trust that you had a good night?" She inquired.

Chuck could only grin. "Good morning Emily. I had a very good night."

"So your date went well?"

"Very well." Chuck had a wistful look as he spoke. "So what's on the agenda today?"

Emily's smiled faded a little seeing the look on Chuck's face as talked about his date. After reading his psych profile the night before, part of her was afraid that Chuck was reading something more into the actions of an agent that was also the best friend of Sarah Walker. A part of her was jealous that another woman realized just how special Chuck was.

She gestured for him to sit and began to speak. "Today, we'll try a skill set download. Hand to hand fighting techniques. These are the same techniques that you will be taught during your CIA training."

"Cool."

"We'll want to test you to see how much you actually retained." Emily paused. "Are you ok with that?"

"Sure, It's the only way to prove it worked, right?"

"That it is Chuck, that it is.." She rose up from her seat and started walking towards the door. Chuck got up from his seat and followed her out the door and down the hall to the intersect room. 10 minutes later he's strapped in the chair giving the thumbs-up to the technicians and Dr Winters. The actual download only lasted about 5 minutes this time and Chuck's recovery time was nearly the same. Once again Chuck's vitals and brain activity are monitored. Emily and the technicians were unstrapping him from the chair as he came to.

"Headache?" Dr Winters inquired.

"Not really. Just feel a little fuzzy." Chuck replied.

"Do you think you can stand?"

"One way to find out." He answered as he pushed himself out of the download chair. "Maybe a little water will help." One of the techs handed him a bottle of water and he nearly drained it in a single gulp. He paused for a second and smiled. "That's better." Chuck said smiling.

"Are you ready to try it out?" Emily asks.

"Sure why not?" The doctor and Chuck walk side by side to the elevator with the two technicians following close behind. They take the elevator back up to the main floor and make their way to the physical therapy center. Once inside, the group walked past the exercise and therapy machines to a room in the back. Emily opened the door and gestured for Chuck to enter. It appeared to be a dojo of sorts, with hard padding on the floors and walls. She pointed to a door on the opposite side of the room.

"You can change in there. Make sure that you put on your headgear – we wouldn't want to scramble your brain any more than it already is." She laughed.

"Ha, Ha." Chuck sighed as he walked into the dressing room and changed into the workout clothes provided. He was fastening his headgear as he walked back into the room. While he was changing, two similarly dressed men had appeared in the room.

"Chuck, this is agent Baxter and agent Maxwell. They serve as instructors at Fort Meade in hand to hand combat techniques. Both agents were a little shorter than him, but much more athletic looking.

Agent Baxter walked to the center of the mat and assumed a defensive stance. He gestured for Chuck to come over. "How much hand to hand fighting training have you had agent Carmichael?"

Chuck walked to the mat and offered a sheepish smile. "Other than a Jujitsu course that I took at Stanford for my PE credit, none."

Baxter smiled at the news. "Good, you haven't picked-up any bad habits to un-learn." He paused to size up the lanky agent-in-training. "Assume a defensive position. I will try to 'attack' you to measure your skills."

Chuck backed away from the agent a few feet and assumed what he thought was an adequate defensive posture from his Jujitsu training. He offered a small smiled and signaled that he was ready. Before he realized it agent Baxter had closed the distance and begun his attack. Suddenly, his body moved as if it had a mind of its own, defecting every advance by the agent.

Agent Baxter backed away and smiled. "You've been holding out on me Carmichael, they don't teach those type of defensive moves as part of Jujitsu." He then began a second round of attacks, now trying for leg sweeps and other more advanced moves. Once again, Chuck was able to expertly deflect his attacks and began using the agents own momentum against him.

Emily and the technicians sat on chairs against the far wall and watched in amazement. The whole event is recorded on video for analysis. Seeing the agent begin to tire from his fruitless attacks she called for a break. Panting and feeling slightly embarrassed, unable to land a single blow, Baxter backed away bowing to Chuck. He walked to the back of the room and grabbed a bottle of water. Dr Winters walked up to Chuck to assess his physical condition. His heart and pulse rate were barely above a resting level. "How do you feel?" She inquired.

Chuck smiled. "Actually, pretty good."

"Can you describe what happened? Did you flash?"

"No. It was weird. I was standing there expecting to be pummeled. When he started his attack, it was as if my subconscious took control of my body and I started moving reflexively."

"That's wonderful." She replied. "Are you ready to test your defensive skills against a knife?"

Chuck gulped at the thought of being stabbed, even accidentally. Emily smiled and said "don't worry Chuck, they will be using a special, retractable blade plastic knife that will make an audible sound if there is pressure on the blade. If the sensor is tripped it means there was enough pressure applied to simulate a stabbing action. My team and I will note where and when these occur."

Chuck could only nod his head as he returned to his spot on the mat. Agent Maxwell walked out to the mat holding the training knife. He walked up to Chuck showing him the knife and pressed the tip against his own chest. It made a loud beep as the blade retracted into the handle. He smiled a Chuck and commented. "See, just like the good doctor said, nothing to be afraid of agent Carmichael." Chuck moved back into his defensive posture again as Maxwell asked if he was ready.

A few seconds later Maxwell began his attack. Once again Chuck was able to fend off his initial attacks with little effort. Maxwell is surprised with the ease that Chuck was able to move, seeming to exert no more energy than what was absolutely needed to defend the attack. The agent was much more aggressive with his next round of attacks, using both slashing motions with the blade aimed at Chuck's arms and legs to simulate how a real attacker would behave. A few of the slashes actually made contact with Chuck, but only on his arms and legs. Sensing that these type of injuries in a real fight would lead to defeat, his body began to move him from a defensive to offensive posture. Each attack from Maxwell was now met with and offensive attack in return. His primary objective was to get the weapon from his attacker.

Frustrated, Maxwell attacked every intent to end this as quickly as possible. His attack is countered with a blow to the jaw that put him flat on his back. Chuck pounced on Maxwell pinning his wrist and nearly breaking it as the knife fell from his grasp. Chuck kicked the knife away as he jumped away from the agent still laying on the mat now holding his wrist.

"I'm sorry agent Maxwell. I didn't mean to hurt you." Chuck commented while staring at the floor.

"Don't be agent Carmichael. You did exactly what you had to do to survive. That's the point, right?" Chuck could only offer a wan smile and nod. Maxwell extended his uninjured arm and called "Here, help me up." Chuck walked over and pulled the agent up from the mat as Dr winters and her techs were back checking his vitals. She smiled and then walked over to the agent to examine his wrist.

"Looks like a slight sprain. Keep it iced for a little while and use an ace bandage for a day or two and you should be fine."

"Thanks doc." Maxwell smiled at Emily. "How does a guy with no formal training take on two instructors and not even break a sweat? Where did you find him?" He then grinned. "I know, he's some type of cyborg, developed by the NSA as the future field agent."

Dr Winters had to laugh at the comment. "I can assure you agent Maxwell, agent Carmichael is a lot of things, but a cyborg isn't one of them."

The two agents were preparing to leave as Chuck walked up to them and shook their hands, thanking them for their help and apologizing to agent Maxwell for his wrist. Soon, they left the room leaving Emily and the technicians standing there. She glanced at her watch. "It's nearly lunchtime Chuck. Why don't you change back into your street clothes and we'll grab a bite to eat. The general left some 'paperwork' for you to review after lunch. Ok?"

Chuck smiled and replied "Sure thing. I'll be right back." He turned and walked back to the dressing room. He knew what the 'paperwork' was that the general wanted him to review. It had been nearly a week since he last looked at the 'dailies' for her. He hoped that it wouldn't take the remainder of the day to review.

Following Emily out of the therapy center they walked to the cafeteria. Soon they were sitting at the same table that they did the day before. The doctor watched as Chuck ate without a word, his thoughts seemed focused somewhere else. She decided to break the silence. "Penny for your thoughts, Chuck."

He looked up at her and smiled. "They probably aren't worth that much."

"So how did your date go last night?"

"Actually, much better than I expected." He paused deciding to choose his words carefully. "Things got off to a rocky start. I was killing the mood recounting the past and my experiences with my former handler - her best friend. Once we got through that minefield, the rest of the evening went well."

"So are you planning on seeing her again?" Emily asked, realizing that she was jealous of a woman she never met.

"I don't know. She finishes her training here today and goes home to wait for her next assignment. She offered to show me around DC if I could somehow get a 'day pass' out of here this weekend. I was debating if I should ask the general." His smile faded as he thought of facing the general.

"We've got a wrap-up meeting with the general at 4:00 pm. She's very curious to know how you are progressing with the 'tests'. I'll think that she'll be pleased with your progress. Who knows? Maybe she'll give you time off for good behavior." She smiled and grabbed his hand as she glanced at his watch. "Time to go Chuck. You've got reports to review before we meet with her."

They rose up from the table with their trays depositing them in the racks by the trash cans. Walking into the elevator, Emily inserted her keycard and the doors closed as it descended to their floor below the ground. Chuck followed Dr Winters as she lead him down the hall to an office. Keying in her passcode, the door unlocked. Emily opened the door and gestured for Chuck to enter. Sitting on the desk was a computer terminal and a stack of documents in a sealed folder.

Emily smiled and said "have fun Chuck." as she walked out of the room, closing the door. Chuck opened the folder and then began reviewing the documents as he keyed in any information that he may flash on as he reviewed. The first hour passed slowly as he read mission reports and logs. He decided to stretch his legs and walked around the room.

Returning to his seat, he opened another folder reviewing the mission reports. He scanned the reports as he normally did looking for patterns or other overlooked items. Chuck started scanning the file when he flashed. Two deep cover agents required extraction from a failed mission in Columbia. The team, identified as Mr and Mrs Anderson, were flown out of country by a special forces unit. The report went on to say that one of their paid informants had turned them in to his boss, one of the many drug lords in the region. There was no mention of any injuries for which Chuck was grateful. He knew from his flash that the Anderson's were really Bryce Larkin and Sarah Walker.

He continued scanning the remaining files finding nothing of note. The last folder contained pictures which Chuck looked at to see if he flashed on anything the could identify them. The first couple of people in the pictures were not in the intersect which he noted in his report. The next 3 or 4 brought on flashes. An Algerian terrorist, an Iranian smuggler, a Polish contract assassin, and one that could be a Mossad agent. The remaining pictures were not in the Intersect. He finished his report and shut down his connection as he closed up all of the folders.

He leaned back in his chair placing his hands behind his head, fingers laced together, and stared at the ceiling. He knew in his mind that anything that Sarah, may or may not have felt for him was strictly to control his actions. She told him as much on more occasions than he could remember. He could have accepted that except for the 'kiss'. Sarah Walker may be the top female agent in the CIA, but even she couldn't fake the passion of that kiss. It certainly wasn't fake for his part. 'Maybe it was just the heat of the moment and he was simply the last person that she thought she would see alive.' He thought. Even if it was real, it didn't matter as she chose to return to Bryce.

Unlacing his fingers, he glanced at his watch. 3:45, soon he would be standing in front of the general. He debated if he should ask the general for a pass. All he could do is ask. A few seconds later there was a knock on the door. Getting up from his seat, he walked to the door and opened it. Dr Winters was standing there smiling. "Did you complete your 'paperwork'?" She inquired.

"All done."

"Great, lets go talk to the general."

They walked down the corridor to what appeared to be a secure conference room. Emily keyed in her access code and the door unlocked. She walked in and Chuck followed. At one end of the conference room was a large monitor mounted on the wall. Sitting down in the middle of the table, Dr Winters began to key in some information on the console. A few seconds later the screen came on with a rotating NSA logo. Chuck sat directly across from Emily, nervously tapping his fingers on the table top as they waited. A few minutes later, the speakers beeped 3 times and the rotating NSA logo was replaced with a grim-faced general sitting behind her desk.

"Good afternoon Dr Winters, Agent Carmichael. It's Friday afternoon and I'd like to get out of here at a reasonable hour, so let's keep this short and on the subjects at hand." They both nodded to the general without speaking. "I've read Dr Bowman's psychological evaluation and your progress reports.. I'm glad to see that Mr Carmichael appears to be cooperating.." Her look shifted to Chuck still scowling.

"Yes mam." Emily replied. "Agent Carmichael has performed remarkably. His retention score for the 'update' was nearly perfect." She smiled and looked at Chuck.

"How did the 'skill set' download go?" Beckman inquires.

"Extremely well mam. An hour after the download, Agent Carmichael was able to hold his own defensively against two of our veteran instructors. They were shocked that he had no formal training."

Diane Beckman nearly smiled hearing the success of the download. 'Soon, I'll have the type of agent working for me that we dreamed about when the Omaha project started.' She thought to herself. Her attention returned to Chuck as he sat there nervously tapping on the table. "Mr Carmichael, is there something that you would like to say?"

Chuck stiffened in his seat and looked at the monitor. "No mam, not really, it's just.."

"Agent Carmichael, my time is too valuable to waste it waiting for you to work up the nerve to ask me a question." The glare was back.

Chuck gulped and figured that he might as well try. "General, mam, there are no updates planned for the weekend and an agent that I ran into offered to show me the sights before she leaves on her next assignment... I was wondering if I could be allowed to go for at least one day this weekend?"

The general sat there stone-faced as Chuck spoke. "That's impossible. I can't let you go running off that could very well be working for Fulcrum. Permission denied."

Chuck held up a finger as if he was asking permission to speak in class. "General, mam, I don't think that her working for Fulcrum is even a remote possibility."

Diane Beckman was not amused. She leaned forward in her seat and glared at him. "And why is that _Agent_ Carmichael?"

Chuck nearly smiled as he replied. "Because the agent is Carina Miller."

Dr Emily Winters watched in amazement as the general's expression went from a glare, to shock, to a grin, and back to straight lipped in a matter of a second. 'Obviously, there's some sort of connection between the general and the agent.' She thought to herself.

The general focused her attention to the doctor without giving Chuck an answer. "Dr Winters, I look forward to reading your report on todays activities. Would you please excuse us as I have some things to discuss with Agent Carmichael regarding his previous assignment."

Emily rose up from her seat without a word, and nodded at the general. She leaned over and told Chuck that she would be waiting outside. He smiled and returned his attention to the monitor. The pair sat silently waiting for the door to close.

"Agent Carmichael, I have an update on the investigation in Burbank. Major Casey and Agent Forest were able to capture the Fulcrum agent that had been planting the bugs in the Buy More. Our interrogation of the agent revealed that they had no idea who you were other than an asset being looked after by two agents. They still believe that Bryce Larkin is the Intersect and knew that he had been in contact with you during the smuggling mission. Major Casey also reported that they also found that all of the data on the bugs was being recorded and still in the store and not transmitted as originally thought."

"That's good news, right?"

"Yes, It probably means that once you complete your training, it should be safe for you to at least visit Los Angles and your family."

"What will happen to major Casey and agent Forest?" Chuck inquired.

"They will receive new assignments once they close things out in Burbank." Beckman paused, not sure how to address the unanswered question. "Agent Carmichael, how exactly do you know Carina Miller?"

Figuring that honesty was his best option, Chuck began to speak. "As you know, general, agent Miller worked with our team on the diamond mission a few months ago. I ran into her when I first arrived here and we went to dinner last night. I believe that her original objective was to find out why Sar- I mean agent Walker had left the team. We ended up having a very good time together and she offered to show me around Washington, if she wasn't on assignment. I thought that I would seek your permission first before I asked if she was available."

The general sat there expressionless as she listened to Chuck talk. "You understand that she has quite a reputation Mr Carmichael? And I don't mean that in a good way."

"General, mam, Carina, I mean agent Miller has been one of the only agents that I have met that has always told me the truth – even if it hurt me at the time. I've heard some less than flattering comments made about her, and yes she can be quite flirtatious, but deep down, I think that she is a good person." He paused before continuing. "I'm sure that her mother is very proud of her service to our country."

Diane Beckman did not rise to the rank of general in the NSA by ever being surprised, or at a loss for words. Suddenly she was both. Schooling her features she asks. "How did you know?"

Chuck smiled. "When I saw that picture of the two of you together in your office, I recognized Carina right away. It was her smile. It's just as beautiful today."

The general leaned forward in her seat staring into the camera. "Agent Carmichael, I'll make you a deal. Contact Cassie, I mean agent Miller and ask her if she still wants to take you around DC. IF she does, then tell her she has to call me before I agree. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes general, mam. I'll call her later tonight. I believe she is here at Fort Meade for a training seminar until after 5." Chuck was unable to contain his smile. "Oh and general, thank you."

Still schooling her features, she replied. "Very well then Agent Carmichael. I want you ready to assume your testing first thing Monday morning." and with that, the conference ended.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: **The usual disclaimers apply.

**Chapter 10:**

Staring out of the window looking at the Friday evening traffic as it moved slowly out of the city, Sarah Walker took another sip of her wine. She looked around the apartment that she had shared with Bryce for nearly 3 years now. With the exception of a few pictures on the bookcase, you'd have no idea who lived here. 'Come to think of it, I've never really _lived_ here.' She thought. It was simply someplace to stay between assignments. Since the _failed_ mission in Columbia last week, the Anderson's have been waiting in DC for their next assignment. She hated the thought of failure, and the way they had to be rescued from the cartel. Bryce's arrogance was part of the reason they failed and she knew it.

Things have been 'awkward' between the two of them since she decided to return. Despite being exonerated by director Graham for his actions, she had a hard time coming to terms with how he left her without a word, leaving her to believe the worst. Deep down she felt that she had been unfairly punished for his actions, forcing her to have to work solo missions with a handler.

Then there was Chuck. Bryce had betrayed Chuck 3 times. First by setting him up for cheating, then by stealing his girlfriend, and last, but certainly not the least, by sending him the Intersect, forcing him into a life he never asked for. Bryce justified his original betrayals, saying that he was trying to 'protect' Chuck. 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions.' Sarah thought as she took another sip of her drink. 'If he really wanted to protect Chuck, why did he send him the one thing that he had supposedly been trying to protect him from?' It didn't make sense.

Upon her return as 'Mrs Anderson', Bryce just assumed that she would act as if nothing had happened. He had justified his actions in his own mind and thought that they could pick up where they left off. At first, Sarah really tried. After all, they had been together for nearly two years as partners in every sense. Their first night together was awkward – the sex was physically satisfying itself, but left Sarah feeling 'dirty' as if she was with a mark and not her 'lover'. She remembered the passion she felt kissing Chuck in front of what turned out to be a container holding Larkin. Sarah hoped that someday she would feel the same passion with Bryce.

Their first mission together was a long-term, deep-cover assignment to infiltrate one of the Columbian cartels that were funneling profits to Fulcrum. Posing as couple of wealthy Americans seeking to increase their fortunes, Bryce and Sarah were living in one of Bogotá's finest hotels, frequenting the clubs in the city every night. The goal was simple – make inroads into the drug culture as a wealthy and bored couple looking to seek thrills and fortune by smuggling drugs into the US and Europe. Bryce's cover was that he was the son of a shipping magnate that had connections to allow the drugs to be moved without notice.

The first couple of weeks had proved fruitless – a few contacts with low-level cartel scum that really had no ties to the 'big fish' that they were looking for. They were, however, able to steer the couple to a mid-level crony, who served as one of the king-pins enforcers. Eduardo Estevez was a dangerous man. There was a string of bodies associated to his actions from New York city to Vera Cruz. As he frequented one of the nicest clubs in Bogotá, Bryce decided that the best way of making inroads was to allow Sarah to 'work' the mark.

Bryce never had a problem with Sarah having to use her body to bring a mark into compliance. In fact, it always seemed to be his first option. Sarah hated the thought of having this slimy assassin pawing over her, pretending to reciprocate, even if he would be unconscious before it could ever go further. It somehow seemed to stroke Bryce's ego knowing how these men wanted Sarah and yet she would be sleeping with him.

She approached the mark by 'accidentally' almost falling into Estevez's lap as she passed by his table, causing him to spill his drink. Grabbing a napkin, she attempted to pat him down with it, feigning being very drunk and apologizing profusely. Eduardo Estevez did not rise to become one of the top assassins in the Rodriquez cartel by being stupid. A woman as beautiful as this just doesn't appear out of nowhere – even in a club like this. Offering to buy him another drink, Sarah continued her drunken apology as he held up his hand asking her to stop. Offering her a wary look, he told her that another drink was not necessary and asked if she would like to sit down for a second.

Sitting down, Estevez asked her what such a beautiful woman was doing alone in a club like this. Still feigning intoxication, she pointed to Bryce who was dancing with another woman. "That's why!" Sarah slurred as she pointed to Bryce on the dance floor. "My rat-bastard husband decided that I had too much to drink and wanted to dance."

Sensing an opportunity, Eduardo grabbed her hand. "Then let's make him jealous, shall we?" He rose up from his seat, pulling Sarah up from hers.

Feigning a smile, Sarah replied, "sure, why not?" They moved out onto the dance floor and she clung to him to help support her inebriated state. "You're quite a good dancer." Sarah purred as they moved around the floor. Estevez started to relax as she clung to him, gently rubbing herself against him in such a way to not provoke suspicions. They broke apart as the song ended and she ran her hand along the lapel of his suit coat, placing a small bug inside. Reading Eduardo's body language, she decided that this would be as far as she would allow things to go this time. She extended her hand thanking him for the dance, saying that it had been fun and hopefully they had made her 'husband' jealous.

Estevez pulled her hand to her lips and gave it a gentle kiss. Smiling he thanked her for the dance and offered to help make her husband jealous anytime. She smiled and offered him her phone number, which he accepted. Sarah leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered "I'm looking forward to your call." as she turned and walked over to where Bryce was standing.

It took three days before Estevez made the call. Sarah pretended that she wasn't sure if she remembered him as she was pretty drunk that night. Eduardo assured her that she was the one who gave him her phone number and asked him to help make her husband jealous. She paused, as if considering his offer before accepting. The next night she met him at the same club. Bryce stayed out of sight monitoring everything going on. She sat down at his table as he poured her a glass of champagne from the bottle on his table. She smiled and made small talk about coming to Columbia for the thrills. She began to ask him what he did for a living. Not surprisingly, he was evasive, telling her that he worked for an exporter that specialized in coffee and coca beans. Wanting to change the subject, he steered the conversation back to her, asking where her husband was.

Sarah smiled and told him not to worry, that her husband was out-of-town looking for investment opportunities. His curiosity piqued, Eduardo asked what type of business her husband was in. She paused, as if she wasn't sure she wanted to discuss her husband's business. Reluctantly, she told him how his father owned a shipping company and how they were always looking for 'interesting' things to ship to destinations in the US and Europe. 'Rodriquez is always looking for new methods of moving product.' Estevez thought to himself as he smiled. 'Maybe this woman will be of use.' Reaching for her hand, he rose from his seat and guided Sarah to the dance floor. After several songs, the band started playing the tango.

Eduardo looked at Sarah and smiled. "Do you tango Mrs Anderson?"

She returned his smile. "Only with the right partner."

They begun to dance. Sarah had to admit that Eduardo was a very skilled dancer. As he pulled her body close to him, she pressed her pelvis tightly against his groin and let out a small moan. Thinking that he was seducing her, he continued to move with her rhythmically while continuing to press his body tightly against hers. The music ended and Sarah's feigned arousal bolstered his confidence. Slowly, they separated from each other as he pulled her hand to his lips and thanked her for the dance.

Playing her part, Sarah looked at her watch and regretfully commented that it was late and she should be going. Estevez took her hand and suggested that she could come back to his place and discuss possible 'business' opportunities. Sarah acted as if she is torn making a decision, finally agreeing to go to his place for 'just one drink'. Estevez lived in one of the finest apartment complexes in the city. Security was everywhere from surveillance cameras to multiple code required checkpoints at the entrance, the elevator and the apartment entrance. The view from his penthouse apartment provided a view of the entire city. Slipping off her shoes, she made her way to the bar.

She offered a seductive smile as she grabbed some glasses and inquired about the drink that she was promised. Walking behind her, he snaked his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear about taking their drinks to someplace more comfortable. Sarah simply smiled as her took her by the hand to the bedroom. Once inside, he pulled her to him, his lips crashing against hers in a kiss of desperation and hunger. Pretending to be feeling his leg, her hand moved from his to the tranq dart attached to the holster on her thigh. Eduardo's total focus was on the beautiful blonde in his arms and didn't even feel the dart as it penetrated his neck due to a well-timed squeeze of his ass. As he slipped from consciousness, Sarah backed him towards the bed before he fell.

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out several bugs which she planted throughout the apartment. Sarah went to his office looking for any information that he may have on the cartel, or at least his involvement. Pulling a thumb drive from her purse, she inserted it into his laptop, cracking the pass code and then downloading its contents. There was no point in trying to be subtle, their goal was to gather enough incriminating evidence on Estevez that he would give them his boss. Knowing that he would be asleep for at least 4 hours, She gave the house a thorough search before leaving.

Sure enough, early the next morning Sarah is woken by the sound of her phone. "Good morning Eduardo." She cheerily replied. "I trust you slept well."

Estevez was seething. "You filthy bitch! I'll kill you!"

Sarah's voice turned to ice. "We're going through your files now. I wonder what type of reward the top assassin for the Rodriquez cartel would bring with the local authorities? I bet the DEA has a hefty bounty on you too."

"What do you want?" The venom dripping from his voice.

"Information. We want to know the locations for his cocaine processing plants. That's all."

"And what do I get in return."

"Your freedom."

"That doesn't sound like much of a deal to me. If Rodriquez found out I ratted on him, there's no place in the world that I could hide."

"How about a new identity and some traveling money?" Sarah offered.

"How much money?"

"$500,000."

"Let me think about it." Estevez replied as he ended the call.

Bryce looked over at Sarah from his side of the bed smiling. "Nice job Mrs Anderson. It sounds like we've got our informant."

Sarah turned to look Bryce in the eyes. "I don't like it. It all sounds a little too easy. There's a better chance that either Estevez, or one of his henchmen, try to kill us."

Bryce grinned. "Don't worry Walker, I placed bugs and a GPS locator on his car while you were 'entertaining' him. I'll make sure a couple of agents from the local office are around at all times." He paused and posed the question as more of a challenge. "I know that it's been almost a year since we worked together, you haven't lost your edge, have you?"

Fighting back the urge to slap Larkin across the face for his challenge to her professionalism, she decided to throw her own challenge his way. "No, but I have learned one thing in the last year, things and people, are not always what you see, or hear."

Realizing that this conversation could only escalate into a full-blown fight, Bryce decided to change the subject. "I'm really hungry, let's go get some breakfast."

Two days later Estevez called back, wanting the money up-front before providing any information. Bryce decided to take over the negotiation, offering half-now, and the remainder once her provided the location of the processing facilities. Sarah tried warning him that this all didn't 'feel' right, but his ego wouldn't allow him to listen. Minutes later, Bryce was on the phone to director Graham detailing the deal he negotiated with Estevez and requesting the $250,000 needed. Of course the money would be marked chemically and the serial numbers would be recorded.

Two hours later, a courier from the embassy delivered the money to their apartment. Soon afterwards, Bryce was in contact with Eduardo, setting up a meet at a coffee shop near the town square. Bryce smiled, overly confident in his plan. Once again, Sarah tried to warn him that this was way too easy.

The advantage of a public meet is also its biggest drawback – everyone can see you. While Bryce would have 'eyes' on the whole thing, Sarah would remain hidden close by as his backup. Later that afternoon as Bryce was sitting at his table drinking his espresso, Estevez's Mercedes pulled up in front. Eduardo emerged from his car alone and walked to the table where Bryce was sitting. He motioned for Estevez to sit down and offered him an espresso. The hot January sun beat down on the two as they sat there. "I have your money." Bryce confidently smiled as he pushed the briefcase under the table to the assassin with his foot. "Do you have my information?"

Estevez smiled and pulled a small envelope from his suit coat and pushed it across the table. "Aren't you going to check your money?" Bryce inquired.

"No need to." Eduardo grinned. "I figured that you would try to double-cross me as soon as you had the information that you wanted, so I made a few arrangements of my own.." He paused as the red dot from a laser sight appeared in the middle of Bryce's chest. A few seconds later, Sarah emerged from her hiding spot, a very large and menacing looking man walking behind her. "Ah, the lovely Mrs Anderson, or should I say CIA agent Sarah Walker?" Sarah tried to not show her surprise at his knowledge of her identity. "So good to see you again. Maybe this time we can finish what we started in my room the other night? I'm sure you'll be pleased." He smirked and then his expression turned to one of pure menace. "But then again, what do I care? I'll get what I want."

Estevez gestured for Sarah to take a seat at the table beside Bryce as his armed guard stood behind her. Reluctantly, she sat down as she waited for Eduardo to begin his inevitable monologue. "I must admit, I expected more from what I was told were the top agents of the CIA." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bug and tracking devices that Bryce had planted on his car and laid them on the table. "Do you think that I rose to my position by being stupid? I was informed weeks ago that there was an american couple looking to make contact within the cartel. My boss decided that I needed to investigate. I knew that you were trying to 'work' me from the beginning. I was hoping that you were dedicated enough to your job that you would have at least finished what you started in my penthouse the other night." He sighed at the thought and then returned an evil leer to Sarah. "Now, I'll have all the time I need to finish it."

"You know we have snipers trained on you also?" Bryce boasted with false bravado.

"Of course you do." Eduardo calmly replied. "I expected nothing less. In two minutes, a Bogotá police escort will pull up in front of this building. I will walk to their SUV with your lovely 'wife' and my bodyguard shielding me from your sniper. We will leave and you will never see her again – alive at least." He looked at Sarah with an evil leer. "Who knows, maybe she'll like playing my 'wife' so much that I'll keep her around.."

Sarah sat there expressionless as Eduardo spoke, trying to listen to the communication in her earwig. She had pressed the panic button in her belt buckle the moment the thug pressed his gun in her back. The tactical unit stationed in the embassy were in position waiting for the signal from her. She reached under the table and took Bryce's hand in hers, giving her a slight nod. He had also listened to the communication on his earpiece. Giving her hand a squeeze, he called out "Now!" as he pulled her under the table.

The first shot went through the bodyguard's forehead, spaying his brains all over the street. Estevez ducked under the table as the first shot rang out. The panicked patrons sitting there soon began to run in all directions. Eduardo took advantage of the confusion running into the coffee-shop with the others. Making his way through the shop, he was soon out the back and in the SUV his bodyguard had parked there.

Seconds later, three SUV's containing the tactical squad pulled in front of the shop. Knowing that there were hostile snipers in the area, the team emerged cautiously and fanned out to surround the two agents. Minutes later the pair was in the SUV and on their way to the embassy. Sarah sat there in stunned silence. In all of her years as an agent, she had never experienced such a total failure to achieve any of their mission objectives. They failed to infiltrate the cartel. Their identities were now known making it impossible to run future missions in this area. And the icing on the cake was that they were unable to at least capture the top assassin for the cartel. They were played like a couple of rookies and required extraction by a tactical squad because they didn't plan properly.

As disappointed as Sarah was in Bryce, she was more disappointed in herself. She always knew that Bryce was reckless, trusting his ego more than the facts. She had always been the conservative one. The person who questioned everything, trusting no one, making sure that they always had options for any possible situation. Even when she worked with the CAT squad, she was the plodder, the thinker. Her willingness to 'trust' her partner had been disastrous and nearly got her killed. The remainder of the ride to the embassy was spent in silence, Sarah unable to even look at Bryce.

Two hours after arriving at the embassy, they were on a private jet on their way back to Washington DC. Bryce sat next to her sipping his drink acting as if he didn't have a care in the world. Sarah just sat there in stunned silence looking out the window, her thoughts drifting off to a certain asset she left without a word. Larkin reached over to Sarah, taking her hand in his and smiled. "Don't worry Mrs Anderson, I'm sure everything will work out."

Sarah looked at Bryce incredulously, fighting back tears. "How Bryce? We had a total failure to achieve any of our objectives. We can't return to Columbia, or probably any country in South America now as they will all know who we are. We'll be lucky if we don't end up monitoring cell phone activity in Antarctica when this is all over." She sighed and took a breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "I should have never left Burbank."

Bryce sat there in stunned silence for a few seconds then grinned when the real meaning behind her comment became apparent. "I can't believe it! He really got to you, didn't he? Chuck Bartowski compromised the great Sarah Walker, the ice-queen, the assassin. Wow! I never knew that you had a 'thing' for losers."

Feeling a need to defend Chuck, Sarah decided to respond. "It appears to me that the only thing that Chuck is guilty of is trusting you. It's as if you've made it your life's goal to betray him at every opportunity. You had him kicked out of Stanford, You cheated with his girlfriend, and then YOU sent him the Intersect." Her anger rising with each accusation. She calmed herself before continuing. "What did he do to you for you to treat him like that?"

Bryce sat there staring straight ahead, unable to look at her. "You're right Sarah, I did betray him, but I thought that I was protecting him from the CIA when I had him expelled. I sent Chuck the Intersect to protect it. I knew from Stanford that he was the only person that could handle it."

Sarah tried to look at him before asking. "What about Jill, the girlfriend?"

Bryce offered wistful smile. "After Chuck was expelled, Jill found me and wanted to know if it was true about him cheating. I had to continue with the lie, so I told her yes. She threw herself at me saying that if Chuck could cheat on her, she should cheat on him."

"So she betrayed him because she believed your story about him?"

"Pretty much. She never gave him a chance to explain himself and her roommate hated Chuck. She used the opportunity to tell Jill what a loser Chuck was."

"Why did she hate Chuck?" Sarah asked, surprised that anyone could actually hate the Chuck she knew.

Bryce laughed at the question. "She had went out with Chuck a few times and then I introduced him to Jill because she was a game geek like he was. She never forgave Chuck for dating Jill." He paused not sure if he should speak. "My greatest betrayal of Chuck was convincing you to come back with me.."

"It was my choice." Sarah stated emotionlessly. "I could never be what he wanted so badly."

"What was that?"

"He wanted real. He wanted to know the real me. I could never give that part of myself to anyone."

"You do realize that he _is_ the Intersect? He probably knew every detail from every mission you were ever part of." Bryce stated matter-of-factly.

Sarah paled at the thought. 'He knew all of my sordid past and still wanted to be with me?' She pondered to herself. She returned her gaze back out the window staring at nothing, questioning her choices. While Bryce reclined his seat and quickly fell asleep.

The meeting with director Graham went about as well as they could hope for. He read the mission report that Sarah had prepared on the flight back from Columbia. To say that he was not pleased was and understatement. He continued to read the report shaking his head as Sarah and Bryce sat in silence facing him. Closing the report, he frowned as he looked at the pair. "Is there anything that you would like to add to what agent Walker has put in her report?"

Sarah stiffened in her chair as she replied. "No sir."

"How about you agent Larkin?"

"No sir. I think the report covers it all." Bryce replied having no idea what Sarah had put in the report.

"Can either of you explain to me how my top two agents were made to look like rookies by a mid-level drug thug?"

Bryce decided to accept some of the blame. "Sir, it was my fault. Agent Walker warned me that it was all going too smoothly."

Graham's expression turns grim. "Agent Walker, do you know why I paired you with agent Larkin 3 years ago?"

"No sir. Not really."

"Larkin has always operated with a shoot first, ask questions later mentality. I paired you with him to keep himself and others from being killed by his rash actions. I didn't pair the two of you together so that you could take your cover relationship to the bedroom."

Sarah started to defend herself, but Graham held up his hand, cutting her off. "That's water under the bridge, or over the dam, or wherever the hell water goes. I looked the other way because the two of you were my most successful field agents." Tenting his finger tips together under his chin, Graham closed his eyes as if in deep thought. "Maybe I made a mistake putting the two of you back together." His comment being more of a question to himself than a statement to the pair. "Maybe something good can come from this. I think that I'll have them add your mission to the curriculum at the farm as an example of how _not_ to run a mission. Take some time off and report back to me in a week to decide about your futures with the agency." His tone left no room for debate.

The pair rose from their seat and left without a word.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: **Two chapters today.

The usual disclaimers apply.

**Chapter 11:**

Chuck sat on the small sofa in his room and scanned the TV channels looking for something to watch, basically killing time until he worked up the nerve to contact Carina. Part of him just assumed that she would forget him the moment she was gone. He assumed that was how spies handled things. No goodbyes, no memories to trip over mentally. That's how it appeared with Sarah.

He pulled his iPhone from his pocket and began scanning through his contacts. He looked at Ellie's picture and sighed, wishing he could contact her. She had left several voice mail messages and more than a few texts during the first couple of days he was gone. Until the general approved, he wasn't allowed to respond. 'Maybe he should have asked for permission to contact Ellie instead of going out with Carina?' He thought. He continued scrolling through his contacts, past Morgan until he got to Carina. Chuck debated if he should just call her or simply send her a text message. Opting for the latter, he quickly typed the message and hit the send button.

Not expecting a response right away, Chuck grabbed his suit-coat from the chair where he laid it, slipping it on as he grabbed his trench-coat and walked to the door. It was after 6:00pm now so he might as well head over to the Officers Club and grab another dinner. Slipping on his coat as he closed the door, he walked out of the building and into the cold February night.

Carina pulled her fire engine red Dodge Viper into her private parking space. She was so glad this week was over after being stuck in a four-day training seminar. There were however, a couple of bright spots – the first was finding out who the traitor was on the CAT squad. The second was meeting Chuck Bartowski again. She smiled when she thought about how much fun she had with him the night before after a less than happy beginning. And the kiss, she sighed at the memory like a love struck teen. 'Maybe he'll be allowed out for the weekend?' She wondered.

Stepping off of the elevator on her floor, she walked down the hallway to her condo. As she placed the key in her lock, she heard the sound of an incoming text message on her iPhone. Walking in the door, she walked to the counter in her kitchen sitting down her purse and her keys. Carina pulled her phone out of her purse and read the text message. _**"Do you still want to spend some time together this weekend? I'll understand if you have other plans."**_

Carina laughed as she read his message. His shyness is endearing to her. Quickly, she typed her response and hit the send button. Kicking off her heels, she walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of Riesling while grabbing a glass from the sink. Strolling to the sofa, she sat down the bottle and glass on the coffee table, debating if she should go ahead and call. Her phone rang just as she was pouring her wine. The face on the caller ID was the last person that she expected to talk to.

Pressing the answer button, she spoke. "Hey CIA. How's tricks?" Her smirk carried through the line.

"Hey Carina. How are you doing? It's been a while." The sadness in her voice obvious.

"I thought that you and lover boy were off saving the world."

"How did you know that I was back with Bryce?" Sarah asked timidly.

"I know lots of things. Lots and lots of things. Some of them I'm sure you'd be very interested in hearing about. Where's lover boy?"

"He went home to Connecticut for the weekend to see his family." Sarah sighed.

"And you didn't go with him?" Carina quizzed.

"I really didn't want to go."

"We should go out for drinks to catch up. I'm sure that it will be worth your time. How about it? Meet me at the usual place in an hour. Ok?"

Sarah hesitated. "I'm not really in the mood to go out tonight."

"Come on Walker, it's Friday night and you're all alone. What have you got to lose?"

"Ok I'll meet you at Fosters in an hour." Sarah replied in defeat.

"Great. As much as I'd like to chat, I'm expecting a call from my date last night. It seems he wants another session of 'Miller Magic'." Carina chuckled.

"Wow, a second date with a guy. He must be special." Sarah commented.

"You have no idea. I'll see you in a few. Later Walker." She pressed the end call button on her phone.

Just as she ended her call with Sarah, Chuck's smiling face appeared on her screen signaling his call. Pressing the accept button, she greeted Chuck. "Hey handsome. Couldn't get by without me?"

Knowing that she was teasing him, he replied. "Hey beautiful, I got your message. I'd love to spend tomorrow with you." Chuck paused, unsure how to proceed. "There's one small issue.."

Sensing she wasn't going to like what she heard, she replied. "Ok Chuckey, spill it."

"When I asked the general for permission to go out this weekend, she became very interested in whom I was going to be with.."

"No Chuck, You didn't!"

"Yeah, I told her it was you." He paused. "I'm sorry Carina, but that was the only way she would even consider letting me go. I understand if you've changed your mind."

Carina could hear the disappointment in his voice. Calming herself she asked. "What did she say?"

"Here's the part you won't like. She said that you had to talk to her first before she would give her approval..." His voice trailing off expecting the worst.

"Why does she want to talk to me?"

"Maybe she just wants to talk to you and I became a convenient excuse?" Chuck suggested, not sure if even he believed what he just said.

"If I know her, she's afraid that I'll do something to mess with your mind. It's pretty obvious that you're special or you wouldn't be reporting to her directly."

Defeated, Chuck simply replied. "Never mind. It's not worth the trouble. I understand."

"I never said that I wouldn't call her, but if I do, you owe me, big-time. I expect us to pick up where we left off last night. Deal?"

Carina could hear Chuck gulp over the phone and fought the urge to laugh out loud at his embarrassment. "Ok. Whatever you want – within reason."

"I don't know Chuck. We'll have to work on our definition of reasonable." She laughed as she finished her comment. Glancing at her watch, she noticed the time. "I'd like to continue our conversation, but I've got to speak to a certain general and I'm meeting someone for drinks in less than an hour."

She could hear Chuck deflate over the phone at her last statement. "Oh, Ok then. I'm sorry for taking up your time.. Have fun on your date." He could hear Carina laughing on the phone. He's convinced that it was just a way of blowing him off.

"No, you big goof! It's not like that. It's not a date. I'm going out for drinks with an old friend."

"Oh, sorry for jumping to conclusions, but I'm so used to being duped, I kind of expect it."

"Chuck we're friends. Have I ever lied to you?" Carina asks.

"No. And I really appreciate that. I'd better let you get ready. Have fun."

"Aren't you curious who I'm meeting?"

"I figured if you wanted me to know, you'd tell me." Chuck replied.

"I'll text you what I find out from the general. Good night Chuck."

"Goodnight Carina. Sweet dreams." Chuck ended the call, a smile forming on his face.

Carina was out of her condo and back in her car five minutes later. She decided to call the general while she drove to the bar. The general answered on the second ring. "Hello Cassie, or is this an agent Miller call?"

"I'm not sure. Am I talking to you as the general or my mother." Carina replied.

"I'm afraid that it's a little of both Cassandra."

Carina tensed at the use of her real first name. "I was told that I had to seek your approval to take out a certain agent-in-training for a day of sightseeing."

Beckman smiled. "I did. Chuck Bartowski is extremely valuable to the NSA and Fulcrum has went out of their way to find him."

"I figured that he had to be pretty important if he reported to you directly." Carina commented.

"When agent Carmichael asked me to go with you, I first said no. He knew that you were my daughter and vouched for you. He really seems to like you." Diane sighed.

"He's a pretty unique guy."

"You have no idea." She paused before speaking choosing, her words carefully to no arouse further suspicion. "The last couple of months have been pretty hard on him. He agreed to become an agent because he really had no choice. I don't want to see him hurt."

"Are you asking me what my intentions are with Chuck?" Carina asked incredulously.

"Yes Cassie, I guess I am."

"Jeez mother, I don't know. I worked with him on one mission and we went out on our first date last night. I hoped to let him do the tourist thing for a day and then dinner. Who knows, we may even go dancing." Carina was clearly agitated now.

"Ok, ok." The general sighed in mock surrender. "Just make sure you bring him back to Fort Meade before Sunday night." Diane smiled before continuing. "And Cassie, one more thing.."

"What's that?"

"No handcuffs for Carmichael. Ok?" The general ended the call before Carina could respond.

Carina could only smile as she heard the call end. She pulled into the parking lot of the bar and stopped. Picking up the phone she hurriedly typed in her text. _**"Mom says it's ok to come out and play. Bring a change of clothes if you want to stay out all night. I'll pick you up at 10 tomorrow. C-ya."**_

Getting out of the car she scanned the lot. Sarah's Porsche is parked several cars down from hers. As she walked into the bar, her phone chirped, signaling a new text message. _**"Cool. Have fun with your friend. C-ya tomorrow."**_


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: **I'm surprised by the comments regarding Chuck chasing any woman other than Sarah as being out of character. How long did it take before Chuck was making out with Lou? How long did it take before he hopped back into Jill's bed? And what about Hannah?

The usual disclaimers apply.

**Chapter 12:**

Carina spotted Sarah sitting in the corner booth nursing her drink. She saw Carina as she made her way to the booth. "Hey Walker how are you doing? Or are you back to Anderson?" Sarah feigned a smile and gestured for Carina to sit down. "Been here very long?"

"Couple of minutes." Sarah stared at her glass as she spoke. "You're late."

"Shit Walker, only 10 minutes. You know I always arrive fashionably late." She smiled trying to lighten the mood.

"Talking to your new 'friend'?" Sarah asked sarcastically.

Carina held up her thumb and forefinger to signal a little bit. "I spent most of my time talking to general Beckman." She paused. "Would you believe I had to get her permission to take him off base for a day out playing tourist."

Sarah is surprised. "Carina Miller, tour guide? Hell must have frozen over or.."

"Or what Walker?"

"You really like this guy." Sarah paused and took a sip of her drink. "So spill it Miller, what about all the things you wanted to talk about?"

Carina signaled to the waitress to bring out two more of whatever Sarah was drinking at the time before speaking. "I was at Fort Meade all week for a training seminar. Amy, Zondra and I were sitting at a table at the officer's club having fun when I ran into an old friend of yours." Carina noticed how Sarah stiffened at the mention of Zondra's name.

"Come on Miller, don't drag it out. Who was it?"

"One of your old Burbank colleagues, Charles Carmichael." Carina watched as a sadness seemed to wash over Sarah at the mention of Chuck's name.

"Chuck's here in DC? What happened to Casey?"

"He told me that they broke up the team right before he came to Washington. It appears that there was some sort of security breach and they brought Chuck to DC for his protection."

Sarah is stunned. 'Was Beckman going to put Chuck into a bunker as she had threatened to do on several occasions?' She thought to herself. "Did he say why he was at Fort Meade?"

"He told me that he's been having migraines and that they were conducting 'tests'. He said that he was going to be there for the next two weeks. That sounds like a lot of tests to me. Was Chuck sick?"

Sarah knew that whatever they were testing Chuck for had something to do with the Intersect. She figured that the migraine story was a way for him to cover for flashing on something in front of Carina. "I don't know of Chuck having any health issues."

"Well back to the story. Chuck was sitting alone in the officer's club having dinner when Amy spotted him saying there was a good looking guy eating all alone. When I spotted him, I had the waitress bring him a drink. She brought out the drink and told him who it came from. Always the gentleman, Chuck held up his beer and thanked me. Unable to take a hint, I had to walk over to his table. I asked him to come over and meet Zondra and Amy. He sat down with us making small talk until we started asking him about you.."

Sarah's mind raced at the thought of what Chuck would say about her to her friends. "What did he say about me?"

"Nothing other than you left to go back to your old partner without a word. You really did a number on him, you know?"

Carina's comment made all the guilt she felt for the way she left Chuck come back to the surface. "I felt bad for leaving the way that I did, but Bryce assured me that a clean break would be easier on Chuck."

Carina nearly spat her drink hearing Sarah's lame excuse for the way she left him. "Do you believe everything Larkin tells you?" She paused trying to reel in her emotions. "Don't answer that. I already know what you're going to say."

"Shit Carina, did you call me here to verbally abuse me for leaving Chuck?"

"No, not really. If you don't want to hear the rest of the story, fine, I'll settle up our tab and leave."

Sarah could read Carina. She wasn't lying. If she let her leave, she'd lose one of her last remaining friends. "Sorry Carina. Go ahead and finish the story."

"We continued to make small talk when Amy made some comment about one of the young officers that had tried to pick us up before we spotted Chuck. He got a pained look on his face and his eyes fluttered. I asked him if he was ok and he told me about the migraines. He asked me to dance and practically pulled me out to the dance floor. Once we were alone, he told me that Amy had been the one that was betraying the CAT squad. He even told me where to look for the evidence. When I asked him how he knew, he just replied that he had seen a mission report from the CAT squad and figured it out. He told me that's what he did in Burbank.."

Sarah almost smiled as she talked about how covered his flash using a migraine as the excuse. Then she realized how she had lost Zondra as a friend because she didn't believe her, yet trusted Amy who was betraying her team. "So, were you able to prove he was right?" She asked.

"Yeah, called in a few favors with a couple of analysts who found that Amy had several off shore accounts in the name of her aliases. I have to admit I enjoyed watching the MP's haul her ass out of the training seminar in handcuffs. I never trusted her. Nobody smiles that much." She paused to change the subject. "You know, he starts agent training at the Farm when he's done at Meade."

Sarah is shocked that Chuck would consider becoming an agent. "I can't believe that Chuck would willingly become an agent. When did he tell you this?"

"I believe that Amy commented that he must be special to justify having two handlers as élite as John Casey and yourself. That's when he told us that you had left. He turned very sad and told us that the team was no more and that he was becoming an agent. It didn't sound like he had much of a choice."

Sarah couldn't help but feel guilty for Chuck's present situation. 'Maybe if I didn't leave him, he wouldn't be in this mess.' She thought. "I don't know if he can make it as an agent." Sarah commented.

"Why, because he doesn't act like Bryce?" Carina hissed, resenting Sarah's dismissal of Chuck.

Surprised by Carina's defense of Chuck she shot back. "What do you really know about him anyway? You only tried to seduce him because you thought I liked him."

"A lot more than you think Walker. And you're right, at first I tried to seduce him because I thought that you wanted him, but we had a long and somewhat painful talk last night."

"Last night? Chuck was your date last night?"

"Why so surprised Walker? You better than anyone, knew that my 'slut in heat' act is designed to keep people off guard. After my failed seduction attempt in Burbank, I decided to try a different approach – honesty. Guess what? It worked. Chuck appreciated my honesty, even when it hurt his feelings. He told me that I was the only person that he had met in the spy business that told him the truth."

Carina's comment hurt more than she thought it should. Of course she lied to Chuck. Her job was to protect him. If that meant lying, then so be it.

She saw Sarah thinking about her comment, trying to prepare some type of rebuttal. Carina decided to continue before she could speak. "Lies of omission are lies too. I told Chuck when I was in Burbank that you and Bryce were more than partners. I'll admit that I did it to try to get him into my bed, but all I did was hurt him. It crushed him and I actually felt bad for him."

Sarah realized that this was the reason Chuck acted so differently to her during the mission, why he gave Carina the diamond after they stole it, why he wanted to end their fake relationship after the mission. "You jeopardized my mission. Chuck ended our cover relationship after the op."

Carina smiled. "I know. He told me. He's a man Walker, not a child like you and Casey treated him. All he wanted was a chance to have a normal relationship like any other 27-year-old. It didn't take him long to find a girl who actually liked him did it? So you had to sabotage it."

"That's not how it went at all. I had orders." Sarah tried to defend her actions.

Carina held up her hand as she spoke, stopping her defense. "Yeah, orders. Chuck told me how he had found some evidence that her ex was involved with arms smuggling and how he was ordered to leverage his 'girlfriend' to get close to the ex. What I didn't understand was why you made a point of breaking up his date."

"I was protecting my asset. That was my job, remember?"

"Right." Carina drew out the word as if it had ten syllables. "You couldn't handle seeing Chuck trying to have a normal relationship with a girl. _You_ told him that there could never be anything between you more than a cover relationship, so when he believes you and tries find a real girlfriend, you destroy it."

"It turned out that she was involved in smuggling with her ex." Sarah replied trying to defend her actions.

Carina laughed. "Oh yeah, Walker. Call out the feds. Her smuggling arrangement with her ex was bringing in deli meats. Kind of gives new meaning to the saying 'hide the salami', doesn't it?"

As much as she didn't want to, Sarah had to laugh at her comment. "Did he tell you that he and Casey told her that they were undercover agents working for the FDA?"

"And she bought that story?"

"Yeah and it ended any chance that Chuck had with Lou."

"Lou?"

"Yeah, that was her name. Tiny thing. Swore like a sailor. You'd like her." Trying to avoid discussing Bryce's resurrection and her departure from Burbank, she tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. "So I gather your date with Chuck went well. Did you get him back to your place?"

"It started off pretty rough. Chuck decided to tell me the whole Bryce Larkin betrayal story. I have to admit Walker, it pissed me off to hear how you left with him after hearing what a douche-bag he was to Chuck. I defended you anyway, telling him that you were with Bryce for a long time before you ever met Chuck. I told him that you were probably in love with him."

"I'm not in love with Chuck." Sarah defended.

"I didn't say Chuck. I told him that you were in love with Bryce." Carina grins at the realization. "You really do have feeling for Chuck? Don't you?"

"No I don't. Besides I'm back with Bryce." Sarah sighed and signaled for the waitress to bring out two more drinks.

"Ok Walker, I believe you." Carina winked at Sarah. "Besides, I think that you'd have a little competition now, especially if he becomes an agent. He's changed his entire look and women noticed. Amy was drooling over him when she first spotted him. I must admit, he looks the part now." With that, Carina pulls her iPhone from her purse and shows Sarah the picture that she took at the club a few nights ago. His hair was shorter and he is dressed in a very nice suit. He was smiling, but it wasn't the smile that Chuck seemed to have only for her. "Cleans up pretty well, doesn't he Walker?" She smirked.

"Yeah he does." Sarah sighed. "So I gather the rest of the date went well? Is that who you're going out with tomorrow?"

"The only way that it would have went better was if I actually got him back to my room. You know Chuck, he begged off saying that he had tests first thing in the morning and he needed to be sharp for them."

For whatever reason, Sarah felt better knowing that Chuck hadn't slept with Carina. She didn't understand why – any claim that she had on Chuck was gone the moment she left with Bryce.

Carina decided to change the subject. "So how long are you and lover boy going to be stuck in DC?"

"I don't know." Sarah paused, debating about how much she could tell Carina. "Our mission didn't go as planned... Aw, hell Miller, it was a total disaster. We failed to achieve a single mission objective. We had to be rescued like a couple of rookies. Graham was not pleased."

Carina grinned. "So that was you and Bryce. Holy Shit Walker! I heard one of the CIA agents at the seminar talking about a failed mission in Columbia involving two highly regarded agents being rescued by a tactical team. That was you?"

Sarah simply shrugged her shoulders and offered a sad smile of acknowledgment. "I don't know if Graham is going to keep Bryce and me together. He was talking about changes and deciding what we want to do with our careers. It was tense." Sarah paused. "Graham didn't really want me to leave Burbank, but he felt he owed me the opportunity to choose. I thought that Bryce and I could pick up where we left off - I was wrong."

"I'm sorry to hear that Sarah. Do you really think that Graham will split you two up?"

"I don't know. He was pretty pissed – mostly at me. He said that my job was to keep Bryce from.. well, being Bryce. He knew about Bryce and I being more than partners. He told me that he looked the other way because of our successes. There was a not so veiled threat in his statement."

"Who knows, maybe the CIA has another hot young agent looking for a partner." Carina joked.

Sarah feigned a smile. "I seriously doubt it... Maybe I should have stayed in Burbank?"

Carina knew Walker's question was really aimed at herself so she offered a grin. Her phone chirped, signaling an incoming text message. She pulled the phone from her purse and read the text. "Son-of-a-bitch!" Carina exclaimed fighting back a scream of frustration.

"What's the matter?" Sarah asked surprised by Carina's exclamation.

"I've got a meeting with deputy director Anderson in his office at 9:00 am." She sighed in frustration. "So much for it being the weekend.. Chuck's going to think I was jerking him around.."

"You really like him don't you?" Sarah asked.

"Why wouldn't I? He's honest, kind, loyal and he cleans up pretty nice." Carina glanced at the clock on her phone. "Well Walker, looks like the DEA has decided my night is over. I'd like to stay and chat, but I've got an uncomfortable call to make and an early meeting tomorrow." Carina reached into her purse, pulling out her wallet. She grabbed a couple of twenty's and tossed them on the table. "That should cover our tab. Take it easy Walker. It was good to see you again." She turned and walked away from the table, Sarah still sitting there. She stopped and turned to face her. "You know Walker, maybe you should give him a call. His number's the same as it was. Maybe it will salve your guilt."

She turned and continued out the door.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Chuck was nearly finished with his dinner when he got the call. The caller ID showed the picture of the two of them together in the club that she took two nights earlier. He pressed the answer button and greeted the caller, mentally preparing himself for the worst. "Hey Carina, how are you doing?" He could hear the gentle roar of the Viper's V-10 engine in the background. "I thought that you'd still be out for drinks with your friend. Is there something wrong?"

Carina could hear the music playing from the jukebox at the officer's club. "Sorry to interrupt your dinner, but something's come up.." She could hear Chuck deflate over the phone. "I just got a message from my boss calling me in to a meeting with him at 9:00 am. He didn't offer any details, but I suspect that he has an assignment for me."

Chuck's voice softened to something only slightly louder than a whisper. "Oh, I understand.. It must be pretty important to call you in on a Saturday.."

"Yeah, you know how it is in this business. The bad guys don't take the day off because it's a weekend, or a holiday, so neither do we.. I'm so sorry Chuck. I was looking forward to the whole tourist thing tomorrow."

"I was too." Chuck paused and made his best effort to lighten the mood. "Hey, maybe it will be a 'quickie' and you'll be back before I leave for training. Can I get a rain-check?"

Carina smiled at Chuck's attempt to lighten the mood. "Sure thing Romeo. If I can, I'll call you and let you know what I can.. Ok?"

"Ok. I best let you go so you can get some rest. You've got a busy day tomorrow. You be careful out there. Goodbye Carina."

"You too, Chuck. I hope your tests go well. I'll talk to you as soon as I can. Goodnight." She ended the call as she pulled into her parking spot. Turning off the engine, she sat there in silence still clutching the phone. She heard the finality in his voice as he said goodbye to her. Charles Carmichael may not be a spy – yet, but he has been around them long enough to understand the game. With her pending assignment, and his training, the odds were pretty slim that they would see each other again, if ever. Climbing out of her car she made her way to the elevator and her condo, where she'd have a long and sleepless night – alone.

Chuck stared at his phone as the call ended also. For some strange reason, this didn't hurt as much as he thought it should. 'Maybe I don't like Carina as much as I thought I did. No, that's not it. Maybe it's because it seemed to bother her too?' He thought. Whatever the reason, he seemed to be able to accept it. That didn't mean that he liked it. She at least cared enough to tell him. Chuck knew that if she got an assignment, the odds of him ever seeing her again were minimal. He took the last drink from his beer and signaled the waitress for his check. Throwing the cash down on the table, he got up and started making his way through the room to the exit.

His mind is focused on missed opportunities, when he heard a familiar voice call his name. Shaken from his thoughts, he turned to see a smiling Emily Winters waving at him. He feigned a smile and waved back. She was sitting at a table with 3 other women. Emily gestured for Chuck to come and meet her companions. Not in the mood to meet anyone at the moment, he sighed and walked to the table. Chuck hoped that he could meet them and get out as quickly as possible.

As he approached the table he noticed that all of the women were about the same age as Dr Winters and similarly dressed in business attire, probably co-workers at the Medical Center. As Chuck stood by the table, Emily began to speak. "Ladies, I'd like to introduce you to Charles Carmichael. Charles has been in for some tests the last couple of days before he begins agent training the week after next." She paused and then gestured to each of the women. "Chuck, this is Amy Beckett, she's a cardiovascular surgeon at the center." She extends her hand and Chuck gives it a gentle shake.

Emily turns to continue. "This is Maria Espinoza. Maria is Director of physical therapy at the center. She's also from California." Chuck smiles and shakes her hand as his mind drifts back to Burbank for the briefest of moments. Emily turns to face the last woman. "And this is the newest member of our little group, Wendy Connors. Wendy is a microbiologist working in the infectious disease unit." Chuck shook her hand and she smiled. Emily pointed to an empty chair at another table. "Pull up a chair Chuck and sit a while. I'm sure the ladies are tired of the old gossip that we continuously tell each other." Chuck started to beg-off, but she stopped him before he could speak. "Or, are you too busy getting ready for your big date tomorrow?"

Knowing he was caught, Chuck sighed and grabbed the empty chair from the nearby table. Emily gestured for her friends to move their chairs to make a space for Chuck to sit. Sliding his chair into the gap between Emily and Wendy, Chuck sat down. "So Chuck would you like a drink?" He simply nodded and pointed to the beer bottle that Maria was drinking. Emily signaled for the waitress and gestured for another round holding up two fingers and pointing at Maria's beer. The waitress nodded her acknowledgement and walked away.

Amy decided to begin the inevitable inquisition. "So Charles, a hot date? Some secret agent that you can't talk about?" Her tone was light and she smiled, but Chuck could feel the bitterness.

"Yes, she's an agent. A very good one." He saw the women at the table all feel a pang of jealousy at the comment. "That's why she had to call off our date. Her boss needed her for an assignment."

The jealous looks from the women softened at his statement. "Gee, that's too bad. I'm sure that you could find other things to do." Maria commented.

Chuck just smiled. "I'm kind of restricted to the base right now. Carina, I mean my date, had to ask the general for permission to take me out. She convinced her to let me go and then she gets called to duty."

Wendy reached across the table and gently touched his hand. She was Chuck's age, with short blonde hair the suited her features very well, athletic build and an agent for Fulcrum. Chuck had flashed on each woman as he met them. As they were all agents of the NSA, Chuck knew that there would be something on each one of them and tried to close his eyes for a moment to disguise the flash. The second flash that Chuck had when she touched his hand he wasn't expecting. It was far more detailed about her suspected membership to Fulcrum. Wendy and Emily both noticed the flash. Emily knew what had happened, but Wendy didn't. Concerned, she inquired. "Are you alright Charles?"

Emily decided to step in before Chuck could respond. "Chuck's been having migraines for no apparent reason. That's why he's here. We're running a battery of tests to see if we can find out why. He can't start his training until we give him a clean bill of health." Chuck offered her a small smile as thanks for explaining. The other women at the table were quicker to notice that she referred to him as 'Chuck' instead of Charles or agent Carmichael.

"So Charles, or should I call you Chuck, tell us all about yourself." Wendy inquired as she ran her fingers along his hand.

"You can call me Chuck. Everyone else does." He paused wanting to give Wendy as little information about himself as possible yet not to raise any suspicions. "Not much to tell really. As Dr Winters already said, I grew up in Encino and went to Stanford majoring in electrical engineering and computer science. Some things happened out of my control and I left before graduating. I was working for an electronics retailer, doing computer work when I became involved with the government. It was my 27th birthday. Since then, I've been doing work for the government. Someone decided that my skills would be better suited if I became an agent, but I started having these migraines. They decided that I needed to be checked out before wasting their money training me, so that's why I'm here." He didn't like to lie, but couldn't risk mentioning anything that would lead Fulcrum to his family or friends.

The vagueness of Chuck's story allowed Wendy to assume that he was some sort of hacker, recruited for his computer skills. She started to press the issue, but is interrupted by the waitress bringing out their drinks. Emily picked up on the flash and Chuck's subsequent reluctance to reveal anything about himself to the other women at the table. She looked at the dance floor, now filled with people and then back to Chuck. Grabbing his hand, she rose up from the table. "Come on Chuck, you owe me a dance for the drink I bought you." Somewhat stunned at her forwardness, he got up from his chair as the other women at the table hooted and hollered.

Following her to the dance floor, she draped her arms over his shoulders as she moved closer to him and began to sway to the music. Chuck gently wrapped his arms around her waist as they began to move around the room. "Ok Chuck. I saw you flash and how you wouldn't tell them anything about yourself. Is something wrong?" She looked up directly into his eyes as she spoke.

Chuck looked at her tight-lipped. "How well do you know Wendy?"

"A couple of months. She's pretty new around here."

"I think that Wendy is a Fulcrum agent."

"Are you sure?"

Chuck could only offer a sad smile and nod. "Doe's she know anything about the Intersect project?"

Emily nods. "Not much. I've never mentioned it by name, but she was very interested in the work I was doing. She thinks that I work on subliminal messaging, which kind of is what I do." Emily paused. "Are you in danger?"

"I don't know. The general needs to know right away. I'll call her first thing in the morning. Does Wendy live on base?" Dr Winters nodded as they continued to dance. "Can you contact someone responsible for base security to keep an eye on her and to notify you if she leaves?"

"I can do that. Should I have them stop her if she tries to leave?" Emily asks.

"No. Let me find out what the general wants to do first. She may want to see if she leads us to her handler." The music stopped and Chuck looked down at her and smiled. "We need to sell this to your friends as he turned his head to look at the table where the women were watching intently. Without a word, he pulled her closer to him and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Thank you for the dance." Chuck smiled as he led her by the hand back to the table as another round of cat-calls erupted from her friends.

Emily returned to her seat and Chuck glanced at his watch. "Would you look at the time!" Chuck exclaimed. "I best be going."

"It's only 9:00 Maria replied. What are you Amish?" She laughed.

Chuck offered a sheepish look. "You found out my secret. Those chickens won't milk themselves.."

The women sat there for a few seconds in silence before they realized what he said and all started laughing. "Good one there Chuck!" Amy laughed.

"It was nice meeting all of you. Maybe I'll see you around here again. Goodnight." Chuck turned and walked out of the club.

Emily watched as Chuck walked out of the club, mentally preparing herself for the interrogation soon to come from her friends. Amy was first. "So... You and agent Carmichael huh? Dancing and kissing.. He just confirmed that he's stuck on base for the weekend.. Maybe you should give him a call.."

"I really don't know what you're talking about. Chuck and I are just friends." Emily replied with a grin.

"You like him!" Maria exclaimed.

"Sure, he's a nice guy with no ego. How many agents do you see around here like that?"

"So, if you're just friends, you won't care if I make a play for him?" Wendy smirked.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: **Usual disclaimers apply.

**Chapter 14:**

Carina Miller is ushered into deputy director Anderson's office by his assistant. She looked across his office and spotted Zondra sitting in one of the chairs facing Anderson's desk. Zondra smiled as Anderson gestured for her to sit down in the chair beside her. As soon as she is seated, Anderson began to speak. "You're probably wondering why I would call you in on a Saturday morning like this. The NSA and the DEA are working together to take down one of the biggest drug rings in the Southwestern US. The reason the NSA is so interested in this is case is their suspected ties to a covert terrorist organization known as Fulcrum." Anderson paused to see what reaction the two had to the information. "The NSA has information that they 'obtained' from a recently captured Fulcrum agent that the leader of this ring known by the name Goliath will be in Los Angles in less than a week for a meeting with his distributors and his Fulcrum sponsors."

"I need the two of you to figure out where the meeting will be and identify as many of the key players as possible. If we can stop them, we can cut off some of the money that Fulcrum is taking in and shut down a key heroin source. Any questions?"

"How soon do we have to leave?" Carina asks.

"There's a private jet waiting at Reagan for the two of you."

"What's our cover?" Zondra inquires.

"That's up to the two of you. The NSA has offered the services of a couple of agents that are shutting down an operation there. Agent Miller you might know one of them. A major John Casey and Agent Alex Forest."

The pair both grimaced at the mention of John Casey. "Yeah, we both know the major and I've heard about Agent Forest." Carina replies.

"Good. It's settled then. I'll expect daily updates from you. Good luck agents." Anderson rose from his seat as the pair got up to leave the room."

"This is horse shit!" Carina hissed once she was out the door. Zondra is stunned at her reaction to the assignment.

"I'd thought that you'd be happy to be working together again." Zondra responds.

Looking at her cell phone, Carina shakes her head. "No Rizzo, it's not you. I was supposed to go with Chuck today.."

"Like a date?" Zondra asks.

"Exactly like a date. I've got to call him and tell him that I'm leaving. But that's no why I'm mad.."

"So why are you so upset?"

"I had to ask the general permission to take Chuck out. Can you believe that? She made me jump through hoops to get her permission knowing that this was going to happen."

"Maybe she didn't know?" Zondra suggests.

"She's a general in the NSA. Every mission goes through her that involves the NSA. It's one thing to jerk me around, but why would she do it to Chuck?"

Zondra had no answer so she walked with Carina in silence out of the DEA headquarters. Carina looked at her watch and frowned. "It's 9:30. I need to go to my condo and pack a bag. I'll meet you at the hangar at noon. Ok?"

Zondra simply nodded in agreement. "See ya later Miller." They both walked to their cars.

"Hey Carina." Chuck greeted her as he answered his phone. "Called to tell me how the universe has aligned against us?"

Carina heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm leaving at noon. Going after a major drug player with ties to Fulcrum."

"Sounds serious." Chuck replied. "Do you know who you're going after?"

"Some guy only known by the name Goliath. Have you heard from him?" Chuck flashed at the mention of Goliath. It was a big and painful flash. Chuck grimaced from the flash loudly enough to be heard by Carina. "Are you alright?" She asked, the concern in her voice apparent.

"Just a migraine." Chuck replied. "This is a very bad man Carina. He's left a trail of bodies from Afghanistan to Albuquerque. No one knows where he processes the drugs, no one knows how he moves the drugs into the US. It makes sense that an organization like Fulcrum is involved. They are probably protecting the drugs in exchange for a healthy cut of the profits. Trust no one Carina. Fulcrum has infiltrated every government agency.

Chuck paused, debating if he should tell her. "I 'discovered' that a scientist working in the infectious diseases group at the NSA medical center, was a Fulcrum agent. If they've gotten in the NSA, it's safe to assume that they're in every government agency.. So where are you going? Or, is that classified?"

Carina had to laugh at his question. "You're going to love this – Los Angles. And guess who they've assigned to give us support?"

"You've got to be kidding!" Chuck exclaimed. "Not Casey! I figured he'd be gone by now."

"Yeah, so did I. What do you know about agent Alex Forest?"

"Imagine a tall, blonde female, version of John Casey. She was Walker's replacement as my handler."

"Jeez Chuck! You must have really pissed off the general to end up with her." Carina laughed.

Chuck had to laugh. "It seems that way, doesn't it? Things were pretty tense in the beginning, but we had a meeting of the minds. By the time I left, we actually got along pretty well."

"Another woman to fall prey to your charm?" Carina asked, a touch of jealousy in her voice.

"Not likely. Casey was sweet on her. He tried to act like he wasn't, but failed miserably. We had a mission about a month ago where Alex and I had to pose as a couple. Casey went nuts seeing the two of us together acting like a couple of horny teenagers."

Carina tried to laugh at the image of a jealous Casey, but found herself jealous of Chuck with another woman, even if it was pretend. "So what happened?"

"Agent Forest had to seduce the bad guy while we watched from a distance looking for the counterfeit plates being smuggled onto his yacht. Casey damn near crushed his binoculars watching the guy pawing all over her."

Carina did laugh this time. "I would have paid to see that." She paused and sighed. "I'm running late. I've got to get going."

"Yeah, right. Sorry for babbling." Chuck sighed.

"Don't be sorry. You've been a big help. I'll try to call you while I'm out there. I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

"Sounds good to me. Carina, please be careful. These are dangerous people you're going after."

"I promise. You be careful too. Goodbye Chuck."

"Goodbye Carina."

Ten minutes later, Chuck was on the phone to general Beckman. "Mr Bar- er Carmichael, it's Saturday, one of my rare days off. I thought that you'd be off sight-seeing with agent Miller." The tone of her voice left no doubt about her annoyance.

"Er, about that general, mam.." Chuck paused. "Something came up. Car- agent Miller got called away for an assignment. She's flying out to the west coast in a couple of hours."

"Mr Carmichael, agent Miller is in the employ of the DEA. I have no control over her or her assignments. So if you called me to complain -"

Chuck cut her off before she could continue her rant towards him. "No mam, that is not why I called you. I thought that you would like to know that I flashed on a Fulcrum agent working for the NSA."

The general's tone changed immediately upon hearing this information. "Are you sure? I need details."

"Her name is Wendy Conners. She's new to the NSA, my age. She works as a scientist in the infectious diseases lab at Fort Meade. I was introduced to her at the officer's club last night after dinner by Dr Winters."

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"After I flashed on her, I spoke to Dr Winters. I asked her to contact base security to keep an eye on her and notify me if she left the base. Was that the correct thing to do mam?"

Diane Beckman rarely smiled, but she had to hearing how Chuck had performed on his own. "Yes Mr Carmichael you did very well. It's good to see that your time with major Casey wasn't wasted. I'll tell my agents and bring Ms Conners in for an 'interview'."

Chuck shuddered at the thought of learning anything from Casey other than how to be an insufferable prick. "Yes, general. Thank you mam." He replied as he heard the click of the phone signaling Beckman had hung up.

The general stared at her phone. 'So much for a quiet weekend.' She thought. Carmichael had provided her with proof of what she had suspected for a while – that Fulcrum had infiltrated the NSA. She called security at Fort Meade and notified them to apprehend Wendy Conners for questioning. Beckman did not offer the details as to why she was to be detained. She'd let her stay alone in isolation for a couple of days before the 'specialist' would begin the questioning. There was no due process. She waived those rights when she joined the NSA.

Dr Winters and Agent-in-training Carmichael sat at the conference room table looking at the monitor. At the other end the general sat there stone-faced as she spoke. "Mr Carmichael, I've read Dr Winters report of your work with her last week and I am pleased that you have cooperated as an agent would. It appears that the 'tests' are going well. Your agenda for this week is to continue the tests and if I'm satisfied, you will begin formal training next week as planned."

Chuck shyly held up one finger as if asking permission to speak in class. The general glared at him and responded. "Yes, Mr Carmichael?"

"What type of tests mam?"

Emily responded before the general could speak. "Foreign languages, probably Spanish and French to start, firearms and small weapons, an advanced hand to hand combat course, and finally the latest data update."

"Yes, Mr Carmichael, if these tests go well, you're training period should be greatly reduced. I want to get you back into the field as quickly as possible. Fulcrum is infiltrating every one of the intelligence agencies, as evidenced by your 'discovery' Friday night."

"So she was a Fulcrum agent?" Chuck asked.

"Yes she was. We brought her in soon after we spoke Saturday. It didn't take long for her to confess everything. She was recruited out of college by Fulcrum who promised to pay her way through school in exchange for her services. She had no idea why they wanted her here, but we guess that they were trying to figure out how far we have gotten with the development of the new Intersect. We suspect that she would have been responsible for causing an 'accident' in the lab where she was working that would have severely hampered our operations. She had no idea who you were, so you're safe for now." Beckman stated.

The general shifted in her seat before she spoke, as if trying to ease her own discomfort with her next revelation. "In regards to your security, I spent a considerable portion of my time meeting with director Graham discussing options.. Because you will be training at a CIA facility, the director insisted that your 'bodyguard' be a CIA agent. With your 'condition' and the sensitive nature of that information, we did not want to bring any new people into the loop." Chuck tensed in his seat as he mentally prepared himself for the news.

"Agent Walker will be assigned to be your bodyguard throughout training. Her cover will be that she was ordered for remedial training by the director. This will allow her to participate in all aspects of training without raising undue suspicion."

Chuck had already figured that it had to be either Bryce or Sarah as they were the only two CIA agents that knew about the Intersect. 'Just when I thought things were getting better, they force her back into my life. I wonder what Carina will think about this?' Chuck thought to himself.

Beckman sat and watched as Chuck processed this information. If he was upset, he did a good job not showing it, as he sat there with a contemplative look. Honestly, his lack of emotion or rambling questions surprised her. "If there are no questions, I'll let you return to your training." She stared at the monitor and saw nothing from either Dr Winters or Chuck as she pressed the button to end the teleconference.

Chuck sat at the table wondering how all of his plans turned to shit in a New York Minute. Three days ago, he was dating a beautiful DEA agent, who actually liked him. He was exceeding expectations with his boss and becoming more than a Nerd Herd supervisor.. And he was moving on from the CIA agent that broke his heart.

Three days later, his DEA 'girlfriend' was gone on a dangerous assignment, that will probably keep him from ever seeing her again, his bosses expected him to load more and more skills into his brain, and the woman who broke his heart would be with him every day. Chuck was sure that Sarah would blame him for her being stuck babysitting him. He had one week to come up with a strategy that will allow her to do her job, yet keep her away from him emotionally to prevent another Burbank.

Dr Winters saw the defeated look on Chuck's face and inquired. "Are you ok Chuck? We've got a big day planned."

Chuck feigned a smile. "Sure thing Emily. Let's get started." His eyes never revealed the enthusiasm that his voice tried to convey.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

Bryce Larkin and Sarah Walker were sitting in director Graham's office nervously waiting to hear what fate would befall them as a result of their previous mission. The director seemed to be overly interested in the document he was looking at on his desk. Bryce feigned a cough in an attempt to solicit a response from Graham. He succeeded. The director looked up from his report and glared at Larkin. "Is there something that you'd like to say Mr Larkin?"

The use of Mr instead of agent concerned Bryce, but his ego assured him that Graham would never do anything bad to his top agent. "No sir." He replied.

Graham sighed as he looked up from the report. "This last weekend did _not _go as I planned. I have spent the better part of the last two days working with general Beckman. One of _my_ newest agents found a Fulcrum mole at the NSA. It's apparent that Fulcrum has managed to infiltrate every one of the intelligence agencies." He paused to gauge any reaction from the pair. "Fulcrum still believes that you are the Intersect Mr Larkin. They have made significant effort trying to find you. It's time to take advantage of this and see who we can draw out trying to get you."

"You want me to be the bait?" Bryce inquired.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. We will have covert team following you at all times to try to bring them in, or eliminate the threat. We'll let it be known that you've gone rogue again through the usual channels and see what happens."

"Where does Sar – I mean agent Walker fit into this plan? Larkin asks.

Graham smirks. "She doesn't The Anderson's no longer exist. I need both of my best agents working to bring down Fulcrum. If there are no more questions Mr Larkin, I need to speak to agent Walker alone. The mission dossier will be delivered to you by courier later today."

Bryce smiled and rose up from his seat. He glanced over to Sarah, who sat there emotionless, staring at a picture on the wall. He turned and walked out of the office without a word. Bryce wondered why he was told to leave the office. She would tell him whatever was discussed in the office anyway.

Graham sat and waited for the door to close before speaking. "As you are aware agent Walker, Charles Bartowski left his protective detail in Burbank after it was discovered that Fulcrum was bugging the Buy More, trying to find out why two top agents were in the area. We captured the Fulcrum agent and confirmed that they did not know about Mr Bartowski being the Intersect. The general and I both felt that protective custody was the best course of action. Mr Carmichael offered to take his agent training instead, convincing us that he would be of more value in the field as a full-fledged agent rather than an asset locked in a hole."

Part of Sarah was impressed that Chuck could convince the general and the director not to put him into a hole somewhere. The other part was disappointed that he would sacrifice everything that he was to become an agent.

"Wanting to 'stack the deck' in Mr Bartowski's favor as much as possible, we arranged for skill set downloads as part of an Intersect update. These skills should greatly enhance his ability to complete his training in a minimal amount of time. Agent Carmichael's cover will be that he is an agent from another agency going to the farm to qualify for the CIA. We do not want to risk leaving agent Carmichael alone during training as bad things always seem to happen to him..."

Sarah's body tensed as she braced herself mentally for what was about to come. Graham continued. "Your experience with Mr Bartowski and knowledge of the Intersect makes you the only choice. I've read Agent Carmichael's psychiatric profile and know what type of damage that you did to him, but I cannot risk letting another agent know about his 'ability' at this time."

Graham saw that Sarah was uncomfortable with his accusation, but didn't care. She treated Bartowski like a mark instead of a valuable asset. The psychiatric report was clear – her behavior was unacceptable and would not be tolerated.

"Wouldn't major Casey be a better choice? He knows that Ch- Agent Carmichael is the Intersect and has worked with him longer than I." Sarah asked.

"There are several very good reasons why major Casey is unacceptable, but I don't feel the need to justify them to you. I don't care if you like this assignment or not, it is my decision. If you feel that you are unable to perform your duty, I will accept your resignation. As I said before, you and Mr Larkin will not work together again. Do you have any questions Ms Walker?"

Sarah knew from the tone of Graham's voice that there was no room for argument. She could either take this assignment, or resign. She knew what resignation really meant – a padded cell in an off-the-books psychiatric facility or a shallow unmarked grave in the desert. Her knowledge of the Intersect assured that. Grim-faced she replied. "No sir. I understand. I'll do my best sir."

"Think of this as a chance at redemption. It shouldn't take longer than 6 weeks. Once agent Carmichael completes his training, he will be in charge of his own team made up with agents from the CIA, NSA and possibly the DEA, FBI, or DHS as needed. You will have the option to join this team or pair up with another partner. That's the best I can do."

"Yes sir. Thank you sir." Sarah replied meekly. "One question sir. Does Ch- Agent Carmichael know about this arrangement?"

"He was told this morning by the general. She commented that she was surprised by his reaction to the news. She expected him to be pleased. Instead she saw fear."

Sarah could think of nothing that she could say to the director's comment. She was prepared for anger. She could handle anger, but fear? Why would he be afraid?

"A courier will deliver a dossier to you later today with the details. That will be all agent." Graham commented and then returned his attention to a document on his desk. Sarah got up out of her chair and started towards the door to leave. Graham looked up and decided to throw one more dig her way. "Oh, and one more thing agent, Mr Carmichael is to be treated as a partner, not a mark." He looked back at the document and Sarah walked out of his office.

Bryce had been sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting area outside of Graham's office. He took one look at the expression on Sarah's face and knew that it had not gone well. "Let's go grab a coffee."

Sarah followed him out the door and out of the building without a word. They walked through the parking lot and got into her Porsche. Bryce was smart enough to stay silent as Sarah tried to process things in her mind. The length of time she was silent let him know that this was something serious. They pulled into the Starbucks parking lot and got out of her car. Bryce asked her if she wanted her usual and she simply nodded as she sat down at a small table and stared out the window.

Bryce carried their coffees to the table where she was sitting. She thanked him and removed the lid from her cup taking a small sip. She held the cup tightly in both hands as Bryce began to speak. "Talk to me Sarah. How bad was it? Are you being punished because of our last mission?"

"No, I'm being punished because of me." Sarah's voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't follow Walker."

"Graham is making me be Chuck's bodyguard while he completes his agent training."

"What if you refused?"

"Graham said he would accept my resignation. You and I know that agents like us don't resign – they disappear or are 'killed' in unfortunate accidents."

Bryce nodded his head in agreement. He knew that being an agent was a 'lifetime' job, however long that may be. "So no choice then. Does Chuck know? I imagine that he'll be thrilled to hear that your working with him again. You could tell that he was crazy about you."

Sarah couldn't help but detect a hint of jealousy in Bryce's voice as he spoke. "Well the joke's on you then. Graham said that when they told him, he was afraid." She paused. "Did you know that Chuck was seeing Carina?"

Bryce was surprised by Sarah's comment about Chuck being afraid of Sarah, but he was intrigued by her comment about Carina. "Chuck and Carina? No way! She'll eat him alive!" Bryce nearly snorted as he spoke.

"Carina and I met for drinks last Friday. She talked about meeting Chuck while she was at Fort Meade for training. They went out on a date and I guess they hit it off. She was going to spend the weekend with him, but got called off on a mission. Carina had to get general Beckman's permission to take him out... She became very defensive when I questioned his ability to complete agent training." She decided not to repeat Carina's disparaging remark about Bryce.

"I can't believe that Carina Miller would fall for a nerd like Chuck Bartowski!" Larkin laughs.

"Yeah, because the spy business is chock full of nice, honest, loyal guys." Sarah replies sarcastically.

"That's not what I meant." Bryce replies defensively.

"What did you mean? That he wasn't as good as you? That Carina should have been lusting after you instead of him? I'm curious.." Sarah growled, barely able to contain her anger.

"That's not what I said!" Bryce shouts drawing looks from the other patrons drinking their coffees. "You know that Chuck wears his heart on his sleeve. I'm afraid that he'll fall for her and she'll dump him when she realizes he's not enough for her."

"You mean like I did?" Sarah replied emotionlessly.

"That was different."

"How so?"

"You were already with me. We have a history." Bryce replied.

"You left me without a word, letting me think the worst. I was treated like a criminal by the other agents and forced to work with a handler who used me to kidnap a baby to fund his retirement. So excuse me if I have hard feelings about the experience... Yet you magically emerge from the dead and expect me to act as if nothing happened." The defeat in Sarah's voice was clear.

Knowing that whatever there was between them was dead, Bryce decided to change the subject. "When do you have to leave?"

"The session starts next Monday. I assume that we'll have to be there by Sunday at the latest." She returned her gaze back out the window. "When do you have to go?" She inquires.

"Tonight. Graham's assistant gave me the dossier while you were still in his office. I'm leaving on a private jet for London with my tactical team of protectors. The rest is classified." Bryce comments as he returns his attention to the now cold coffee in his cup.

They finished their coffees in silence and then made the drive to the condo they shared in Arlington. Bryce packed in the bedroom while Sarah sat on the sofa reading the dossier that was delivered soon after they arrived.

He emerged from their bedroom bag in hand a few minutes later. His phone chirped and he pulled it from his jacket pocket to read the text. "My driver is here." Bryce calmly stated.

Sarah sat down the file and got up from the sofa. Bryce walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips as he whispered. "Goodbye Sarah."

She kissed him again and replied. "Goodbye Bryce. Be safe."

They broke from their embrace and Bryce bent down to grab his bag. He smiled his trademark Larkin smile and replied. "I always do." He turned and walked out the door and probably out of her life forever.

Sarah stared at the door for a minute as she wiped the single tear that fell down her cheek.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

The remainder of the week is spent in a routine of a morning meeting with general Beckman and Dr Winters to discuss the download planned for the day, the download itself, a test of the downloads effectiveness and a review of its impact on him physically. Every day at the Medical Center ended with a brief discussion with Dr Bowman. At first, discussing his feelings with the psychiatrist was a relief. He repeatedly had been told by his handlers to keep his feelings to himself, that a spy had to keep his emotions in check at all times. That feelings will get you killed. By the end of the week Chuck had decided that he needed to keep his feelings to himself.

Monday, it was foreign languages with French and Russian chosen. Chuck is amazed that he could not only speak the language, but that he could read it and comprehend written documents. Tuesday, it was firearms and explosives. Chuck really enjoyed shooting and thanks to the Intersect, he was a marksman. Having no way to test his ability with explosives safely, Dr Winters had to rely on a computerized test that the NSA used for recruits.

Wednesday's download was knives and throwing weapons. Chuck felt a great amount of satisfaction knowing that he was nearly as adept at throwing knives as his former handler, even if he 'cheated' getting the skill via download. Thursday, was an advanced close quarters combat skills download designed to allow the agent to use whatever was available to defend himself from an armed attacker in a confined space. Once again, the two NSA instructors are brought in to 'test' Chuck's skills.

Friday's download was the last one and the biggest. Not only was it an update, it contained the personnel records for every active agent in the NSA and CIA. After Chuck's identification of the Fulcrum mole, Beckman and Graham argued if it was safe, to give access to personal records to the Intersect, but finally agreed that there were no other real options. All it did was make Chuck even more valuable to them and their enemies. Several heated debates ensued regarding the wisdom of allowing Chuck to complete agent training. Beckman was sure the training could only help Chuck defend himself against potential threats. They agreed that they would make a final decision regarding Chuck after training was complete. The bunker was still a viable option regardless of what was promised to him.

Friday's download was the largest and took nearly 30 minutes to complete. Recovery time after the download took nearly an hour and the ensuing headache lasted the entire day. Chuck never complained, his mind focused on how he would deal with his former handler serving as his bodyguard and 'partner' – at least through training. Physically, Chuck felt pretty good. Since the weekend when all of his plans fell apart, he had dedicated a couple of hours each evening using the exercise equipment at the Medical Center to help increase his stamina. Dr Winters had warned him that even though the Intersect provided him with the muscle memory to perform certain tasks, he still needed to be in condition or he could sprain or pull muscles that weren't prepared. The evening exercise sessions were followed by dinner at the officer's club, where the majority of the waitresses knew him by name by the end of the week.

The highlight of each day was the phone calls he received and made to and from California. Chuck was given an encrypted phone on Monday and given permission to call his sister. The first call to her was tense. Ellie is pissed at Chuck for leaving the way he did and she let him know it in no uncertain terms. The majority of the first call was spent apologizing and assuring her that he wasn't in any more danger than what he was in Burbank – which technically was correct. He'd been in constant danger since he opened Bryce's email. Chuck tried to explain that he was working on a secret computer project and had to use a special phone that would not allow her to call him. While she didn't like the current situation, she had to admit that she thought that Chuck had been wasting his life after Stanford. He promised that he would call her as often as he could and would try to visit as soon as his training was complete.

Keeping her promise, Carina had contacted him daily. At first it was a call, but as the meeting with Goliath approached, the contact was limited to a few texts. Chuck originally assumed that it was just part of the process that Carina used to get into mission mode. He didn't realize that it was Carina withdrawing from him after hearing that Walker was going to be his 'partner' for during his training. He confessed his fear of working with Sarah again, which Carina assumed his fear was due to his feelings for Walker. Chuck tried, and failed, to convince her that his fears are related to the resentment that she would feel towards him for being assigned as his 'partner'. Carina said all of the correct things, but Chuck could tell something was wrong. He didn't understand why she would feel threatened by Sarah.

By the night of the meeting with Goliath, there was no text from Carina. She didn't contact him again.

For Sarah, the week was emotionally exhausting. With nothing to do for the week, it was far too tempting to sit alone in _their_ condo and drink herself into oblivion lamenting her life. The night that Bryce left she did just that, drinking and crying about the unfairness of life until she passed out.

She woke then next morning face down on the floor in the bathroom. She was still covered in puke and reeked from the smell adding to the discomfort of her hangover. Pulling herself to her feet, she turned on the shower and staggered to the sink, grabbing her glass and gulping down some water. She took a couple of aspirin and drank another glass of water, before brushing her teeth twice to removed the retched taste in her mouth. She climbed into the shower and stood there for several minutes not moving, allowing the hot water to wash over her. She finished her shower, dried, and dressed in her workout clothes.

Feeling significantly better after her shower and aspirin, Sarah went to the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. Holding the cup in both hands, she breathed in the aroma of the hot liquid. She finished her coffee and grabbed her keys from the counter as she walked out the door. Sarah walked to the athletic center that was part of the condo complex. After a few minutes of Tai Chi to loosen up her muscles, she ran a few miles on the treadmill followed by some time on the weight machines.

Feeling the effects of the hangover lessening, she went back to her condo for another quick shower and then a drive to the mall for a quick-lunch and a little shopping to kill the time. She returned to the condo from the mall hours later with nothing to show for her efforts. She plopped down of the sofa, a bottle of water in hand – she wasn't going to allow herself to drink as she did the night before. Grabbing the remote, she turned on the TV surfing through the channels. Sarah Walker had little interest in anything on television, or pop culture in general. She was ready to turn the TV off when she switched to the Return of the Jedi being shown on one of the movie channels, just as Carrie Fisher was choking Jabba-the-Hut with the chain, dressed in the same costume that Sarah had worn for Chuck's Halloween party. She smiled at the thought of how excited he was to see her dressed in the outfit. It clearly showed when she took their picture together – the only picture that she kept from her time in Burbank.

Knowing that she was going to be working with Chuck, she decided to watch the movie as 'research'. Two hours later the movie ended and although it was entertaining, she couldn't understand what all the fuss was about it. She had to admit there were some funny parts and the action kept the story moving. It was two hours of escapism and that was enough she guessed.

The next three days were spent at Langley using their facilities to practice her firearms and knife skills. She spent a considerable amount of time working on her hand to hand fighting skills also. Every night she returned to her condo after a light dinner and watched one of the Star Wars movies – for educational purposes. She decided to rent the entire set and start at the beginning as she watched the final chapter first. After watching the first episode, she was amazed that there would have ever been a second movie, let alone 5 more. The Jar-Jar-Binks character may have been one of the most annoying she had ever seen in any movie. It was only after watching the 4th episode that she realized that episodes 1, 2, & 3 came after episodes 4, 5, & 6. She shuddered at the thought of an episode 7, 8, & 9 trilogy.

Sarah had been unable to get Graham's comment regarding Chuck's reaction to her being his 'partner' out of her head the entire week. She couldn't understand why he would be afraid of her. Was he afraid the she would try to manipulate him again? That she would break his heart again? That she would abandon him? That she would betray him and turn him over to Fulcrum? She shuddered at the thought. Did he think that I would physically try to harm him? 'No. No that can't be it. I'd never deliberately hurt Chuck.' Sarah thought. _'There are other ways to hurt people that does more damage, and you did them all to him.'_ Her conscience replied...

Once again, it was Friday night and she was alone. She knew that there would be no call from Carina asking her out for drinks. Sarah knew that she would probably never speak to Bryce again. She hadn't felt this alone since high school. She sat down with her laptop and started checking her email for any new messages from her CIA account. There was one from Graham. It contained the details for her assignment. Sarah will be driven to Fort Meade where she will pickup agent Carmichael and accompany him to the farm. Their covers were already established and no one at the Farm would know Chuck's true identity.

The last paragraph was another warning from the director about how she was supposed to treat Carmichael as a fellow agent, not a mark or asset. Graham included Chuck's new encrypted cell phone number.

Sarah stared at the note for a couple of minutes while her mind wandered elsewhere. Logically, she knew that she was the only person besides John Casey that knew about the Intersect. She knew that Graham wanted to have one of 'his' people watching over Chuck. She just wished that person wasn't her. Grabbing her phone, Sarah went through her contacts until she found Chuck. Replacing his old number with his new one, she debated if she should call him to make sure it works.

Deep down, Sarah Walker, CIA assassin and seductress, was afraid of Charles Irving Bartowski. She had always been afraid of him because he knew everything about her spy life and that terrified her. Chuck, on the other hand was the opposite. The more she learned about his past, the more she had to admire and respect his honesty and loyalty to his friends and family. Rather than blame others for the bad things that had happened, he chose to blame himself.

Getting up from her desk, she walked to the kitchen and poured herself another glass of wine, while grabbing the half-eaten container of fried shrimp that she had ordered earlier. Sitting down on the couch, she pulled her chop sticks from the container and started eating. The shrimp was pretty good, but not as good as the 'sizzling shrimp' that she was introduced to by Chuck's bearded friend. She smiled when she remembered how excited Chuck's friend was to host an 'Evening with Morgan'. Picking up her phone from the coffee table, she scrolled through her contacts to Chuck. Knowing that she needed to somehow make contact with him before picking him up Sunday, she decided to send a simple text to him. If he was out, he could delay his response until he was somewhere secure. How, or if he responded would determine if she would call him. Quickly she typed her message and pressed the send key as she returned to her dinner.

Chuck was finishing his dinner at the officer's club, when his phone vibrated, signaling a text message. Thinking that it might be Carina, he smiled as he pulled the phone from his jacket. He didn't recognize the number, but as soon as he read the message he knew where if came from. _**"Hey Chuck, it's Sarah. Is it ok to call? Let me know."**_ Was all the message said. Chuck sat there and stared at the phone for what seemed like an hour, but really was only a minute or so. 'You knew this was coming.' Chuck thought to himself. 'You might as well get it over with.' He started typing his response and quickly hit the send button. A few seconds later his phone chirped signaling that the message was sent. Putting his phone back in his suit coat, he signaled to the waitress for his check.

He was dropping his cash on the table to cover his tab and tip when he heard a familiar voice. "Hey Chuck! Leaving so soon?"

He turned and faced a smiling Emily Winters standing beside his table. "Hey Emily, how are you? I was just heading back to my room for the night."

"Do you have time for a drink? We should celebrate your successful completion of your 'tests'."

"Actually, I'm expecting a call in an hour.." Chuck could see Emily deflate at the news. "But I suppose that there's enough time for _one_ drink.."

"Great! Follow me." She smiled as she led Chuck to her table. Once again she was with her friends from last week minus Wendy. Chuck pulled out her chair for her as she sat down and then took a seat himself.

"Good evening ladies. It's nice to see you again." Amy and Maria both smiled and greeted him as he sat down. Maria gestured to the waitress to bring another round of drinks and signaled for two of the beers that she was drinking.

"Well Charles, Emily tells us that you'll be leaving us soon?" Amy inquires.

"Yeah, I leave for training on Sunday."

"So you passed all of your tests?" Maria asks.

"Yeah, looks like I got a clean bill of health."

"So they fixed your migraines?"

"Not really. Emily helped me control them better so that they don't last as long."

"That's good news." Amy replies. Chuck simply smiles as the waitress brings out their drinks.

"A toast is in order." Emily holds her drink up. "To Charles Carmichael, future agent of the CIA and nice guy. Good luck with your training. I know you can do whatever you set your mind to.. Cheers!"

The group clinked their glasses and bottles together as Chuck shyly smiled and thanked them. He sat there and finished his beer while listening to the ladies make small talk about nothing in particular. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that he had just enough time to walk to his room before Sarah called. Agent Walker was always punctual. He sighed and started to get up from his chair. "As much as I'd like to stay her with you lovely ladies, duty calls. I have a call with my 'partner' in a few minutes and I don't know how long it will take. It's been a pleasure to meet you." Chuck leaned over and kissed the hand of both Amy and Maria.

Emily got up from her seat as Chuck kissed Amy and Maria's hand. "Come here Chuck." Emily calls to him with her arms open. Chuck walks up to her as she wraps her arms around him. "I really enjoyed our time together. I'll miss you." She raises up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.

Chuck returns the hug and gives her a kiss back. "Thank you for everything. I'll miss you too. You take care of yourself. You never know when I may need the services of my second favorite neurologist." He grinned as he started towards the door.

"Second?" Emily asks, confused.

"Yeah, my sister would kill me if I wasn't her favorite." Chuck laughed as he left. Emily could only smile as she gently touched her cheek where Chuck kissed.

Sarah stared at the clock on the wall wishing that time would either stop and she wouldn't have to make the call, or that it would move faster and she could get it over with. Nervously, she pressed the call button on her phone and waited..

Back at Fort Meade, Chuck had just closed the door to his room as his phone began to vibrate. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered it as he pulled off his suit coat. "Good evening agent Walker." Chuck calmly greeted her.

Sarah is taken back a bit by the formalness of his greeting, but decided to continue. "Good evening _agent _Carmichael.. I'm glad that we have a chance to speak before Sunday." Her tone was pure agent Walker.

Sensing the coolness of her tone, Chuck warily continued. "So how are you doing? I understand that you will be my partner throughout training?"

"Fine, everything is going good. Yes, it seems that I will be working with you while you complete your agent training."

"I'm sorry that you got stuck with me. I know that you would prefer to be off with Bryce saving the world, rather than babysitting a nerd."

Chuck had cut her to the quick with his comment. There was no way she could respond to his statement that wouldn't either make her look like a hypocrite or a liar. After all the warnings she received from Graham, Sarah decided on the truth. "I asked Graham why Casey couldn't serve as your partner, but he told me he wanted a CIA agent with you as you are training to become one. I wasn't given much of a choice, Graham told me to take the assignment or resign."

"Would Graham really make you resign? I'm sorry that you're stuck with me. I'll try to stay out of your way as much as I can."

Sarah sighed hearing Chuck's apology. 'Leave it to Chuck to feel guilty for something that he had no part in.' She thought. "The director was very upset with the way my last mission turned out. He expected me to keep Bryce under control – and I failed. The mission was a total failure. Graham decided that he had better uses for the two of us on separate missions. Bryce was sent deep cover again to try to flush out Fulcrum agents. I was assigned to protect you." She paused a second to determine how to continue. "I'm sorry for the way I left you in Burbank. I owed you an explanation and I didn't even say goodbye."

"It's what spies do right? No hellos and no goodbyes. Carina explained it to me. Besides, I was just an asset."

Chuck's mention of Carina having to explain to him the facts of the spy world hurt. Sarah knew that she should have explained those things to him from the beginning. Instead she strung Chuck along with half-truths and vagaries designed to keep him compliant. Deciding to change the subject, Sarah asks. "So how is Carina? Is her mission going well?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Chuck replied. "I don't know. After I told her that you were going to be my partner throughout training on Monday, she stopped calling. She did send me text messages every night until today. She said that she had to focus all of her attention to her mission. I think that tonight is when the big meeting was supposed to happen."

Sarah could hear the resignation in his voice. Chuck knew that whatever they had was over. Sarah knew that Chuck's admission of her involvement as his partner resulted in Carina pulling away. "I'm sorry Chuck. You really liked her, didn't you?"

"Yeah, of course I liked her. She always told me the truth, even when I didn't want to hear it. And I think that she really liked me too."

"Of course she liked you. You're a great guy." Sarah waited for some type of response from Chuck, but there was none. His silence spoke louder than words ever could. Deciding that enough damage had been done for one night, she decides to end the call. "Well agent Carmichael it's getting late. I best let you get some sleep. I'm sure that you're tired."

"Yes, I've taken up enough of your evening agent Walker. I'm sure that you have places to go and people to meet. I suppose I'll see you Sunday then? Goodnight."

Chuck ended the call, not waiting for any response from her. She simply stared at the phone and whispered "Goodnight Chuck."


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: **Many thanks to the reviewers who pointed out my brain fart in the previous chapter when I used Empire Strikes Back, when it should have been the Return of the Jedi. I've since corrected that mistake.

**Disclaimer: **Still not mine.

**Chapter 17:**

Chuck sat in his room waiting for the call. He had packed all of his belongings in two duffel bags that were sitting by the door. He nervously glanced at his watch for what had to be the tenth time in the last ten minutes. 'How would he react seeing Sarah again?' He wondered. She had sent him a text message an hour ago when she was picked up at her condo telling him to be ready. Getting up from his seat, he did a quick once over around the room making sure that he left nothing behind. His phone chirped again with another text telling him that they had arrived at the base. Chuck slipped on his trench-coat and opened the door, grabbing his bags as he left his temporary home for the last time.

He was standing outside the the VOQ building when the SUV pulled up. The driver got out and opened the rear door as Chuck walked to him. Tossing his bags into the back of the Suburban, he greeted the driver. As he walked around the SUV to get in the back, Sarah was standing there to meet him. Chuck stopped as soon as he saw her. She was as beautiful as she ever was, maybe even more than he remembered. Chuck knew that she was only here because she was ordered to. He knew that she didn't want to be here – she told him that. She stood there and offered a smile that didn't reach her eyes as he approached.

Sarah extended her hand as he walked up to face her. He looked every bit the part of a spy. From the tailored suit, the professionally styled hair, the trench-coat, and the 3-day growth of beard. He smiled as he extended his hand to her, but she could tell that it wasn't the same as Burbank. Taking her hand in his he greeted her first. "Agent Walker, it's good to see you again... You look as lovely as ever.."

His gentle touch of her hand flooded her mind with feelings that she thought were well suppressed. Despite his smile and professional greeting, she could see the pain and betrayal in his eyes. "It's good to see you too agent Carmichael." She replied as she watched as Chuck flashed after touching her. It must have been a big one, because he grimaced in pain and let go of her hand as if he had been shocked. Concerned, she inquired. "Did you just flash? Are you ok?"

Feigning a smile, Chuck replied. "Yeah, I'm fine. Since the last update, these things kind of sneak up on me now." Chuck paused debating if he should tell her about his flash. Chuck opened the rear passenger door and started to climb in the Suburban. "Let's get this show on the road Samantha."

Sarah stood there in shock for a few seconds after hearing Chuck call her by her birth name. If she was afraid of what Chuck knew about her before, she is terrified of what he knew now. She climbed back into the passenger side front door of the SUV, wanting to keep as much physical distance between the two of them as possible. Seeing the stunned look on her face and they way she was sitting, slid across the seat to where he was sitting directly behind the driver, giving her as much space as possible.

They sat in total silence for nearly an hour. Sarah sat there staring out the front window not making a sound. Chuck sat there watching her try to process the bomb he dropped on her by revealing her name. He frowned as he watched Sarah withdrawing into herself, running away. Part of him berated himself for letting her know that he knew about the girl behind the spy. The other part said that she had every right to know as they would be partners, at least for a little while. He sighed in frustration and pulled his earbuds from his trench-coat pocket and inserted them into his iPhone. Scrolling through his music files, he selected what he wanted to listen to as he put the earbuds in and pressed play. Chuck knew that it would be a while before they arrived at the farm and there was nothing to see in rural Virginia on a cold grey February day. He closed his eyes and let the music take his thoughts away from where he was now.

Chuck was woken from his sleep by the driver telling him that they had arrived at their destination. After passing through security, they were taken to the administrative offices. Getting out of the SUV, Chuck started to walk to the back to get his bags. The driver stopped Chuck and told him that he would take them and their bags to their barracks once they are registered.

Chuck walked to the door and held it open for Sarah to enter the building. It's spartan exterior belied the interior. They walked together in silence to the receptionist sitting at the front desk. Sarah spoke for the first time since meeting Chuck. "Agents Walker and Carmichael reporting for training." Her voice was calm, she was back in agent mode. The receptionist looked at her monitor and smiled as she gestured for them to take a seat and that she would inform agent O'Hara of their arrival.

They walked back to the row of chairs that was sitting against the wall and sat down. Sarah had pulled her iPhone from her purse, pretending to be reading something. He nearly laughed out loud at her poor attempt to look busy and avoid any conversation. Angry that Chuck was laughing at her failed attempt to avoid talking, she started to speak, but is interrupted by a young man approaching.

"Agents Walker and Carmichael, agent O'Hara will see you now. Please follow me." He turned and walked to the elevators, Chuck and Sarah following behind. They rode the elevator in silence as it ascended to the top floor. They followed him in silence down the corridor and into a large office with a waiting area. Inside this area was O'Hara's office. The aide gestured for them to enter the room. The woman sitting behind the desk rose from her seat to greet the pair of agents.

"Agents, it's good to meet you. My name is Maureen O'Hara and I am director of operations here at the farm." She extended her hand to the pair. Sarah shook the director's hand. "It's good to finally meet you agent Sarah Walker. Your reputation precedes you." Releasing Sarah's hand, she then turns to face Chuck and grinned. "And you must be agent Charles Carmichael." Chuck shook her hand suppressing a laugh as the flash hit him. His eyes fluttered, at the relatively small flash, which he tried to conceal. O'Hara noticed it, but was more annoyed by his suppressed laugh. "What's so funny agent Carmichael?"

"I'm sorry mam, I didn't mean to laugh, but come on, couldn't they think up a more original name than that?" Chuck laughed out loud.

Maureen stood there for a few seconds when she realized why he was laughing, started grinning and had to laugh herself. "You must be quite the movie buff Mr Carmichael. Most people today have no idea who Maureen O'Hara was." Sarah stood there, completely confused by the conversation between the two. O'Hara saw the look on Walker's face and decided to explain. "Maureen O'Hara was the name of a famous actress from the 40's and 50's."

"She continued to act until the late 80's." Chuck added. "Quite a lovely woman, but not as attractive as you.."

Maureen blushed at the compliment. While she was in her early forties, she looked much younger and would probably still be in the field if it wasn't for her disability. Her auburn hair and freckles reminded Chuck of an older and shorter version of Carina. She smiled and started to sit down as she gestured for the pair to take a seat also. "Agent Carmichael, I can see that you and I are going to get along well.." She stared at the two folders sitting there on her desk. I have your personnel files here and I must admit they are interesting to read – if you like fiction. I know that something else is going on here, but I've learned not to question why. That's the secret to survival in this business."

She opened Sarah's folder first. "So, agent Walker, it says here that you're back for re-certification for firearms, knife skills, hand to hand combat, and induction of enemy personnel. Is that correct?"

"Yes mam." Sarah replied.

"When was your last mission agent Walker?"

"A couple of weeks ago. It did not go as planned mam. Director Graham thought that it would be best for me to be re-certified in all of my skills before sending me back out again."

O'Hara smiled. "That's a good one agent. You were Graham's top enforcer, his wild card seductress and assassin. Are you trying to tell me that you suddenly lost all of your skills?" Sarah sat there silent unable to answer.

She turned her attention to Chuck. "And you, Mr Carmichael, it says here that you were a former KGB agent that decided to come over to the good guys. Is that correct?"

"If that's what is says mam." Chuck replies.

O'Hara grins and asks Chuck if she takes her for a fool, that there is no way for him to be KGB, in Russian. Chuck answers that she is too smart to be fooled and that she can believe whatever she wants to in perfect Russian with no accent. O'Hara laughed at his comment and replied. "Ok, whatever you say agent Carmichael."

Sarah sat there in stunned silence as she listened to the exchange between the two in Russian. Sarah spoke enough of the language to get by, but Chuck spoke as if it was his native tongue. She wondered if languages were part of the Intersect downloads that Chuck took.

Maureen looks at both of the agents sternly. "I don't know why you two are here and to be honest, I don't care. Your instructors will be told your cover story and nothing more. I expect you to act like any other recruits. Your classes and instructors are listed on these papers." She shoved the papers in front of the two. "If there are no more questions, I'll let you go and get settled in your new 'home' for the next six weeks." She looked at both of them and smiled. "Good I'll speak to you sometime this week to review your progress. That will be all."

Chuck and Sarah rose from their seats and started walking out the door. Maureen looked up and called out the Chuck. "Oh, Agent Carmichael. Good Luck." He smiled and nodded to her as he left the office. Sarah couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at O'Hara's blatant flirting with Chuck and his willingness to lead her on.

Getting on the elevator, Sarah decided to end the silent treatment that she had been giving him since he called her by her birth name. "What was that in there?" She asked sarcastically.

"Why agent Walker, I have no idea what you're talking about.." Chuck smirked.

"So you're into cougars now?"

"She seems to be able to know what she wants and is not afraid to go after it." Chuck knew that the director had no interest in him, nor he for her. 'Why would Sarah even care?' Chuck wondered.

Sarah heard loud and clear what he really meant with his comment. Her mixed signals to Chuck kept in a state of confusion. One minute letting him think that there was a chance for them as a couple and the next destroying it all by hiding behind the job.

As they exited the elevator, the agents walked out of the building and back to the SUV waiting for them. The driver stopped in front of the building that would serve as their home for the next six weeks. Exiting the Suburban, Chuck walked to the back and retrieved his duffel bags. Sarah walked up as he was taking his bags out and he pulled her bag out and sat it behind the vehicle. Chuck shook hands and thanked the driver as he returned to the SUV and drove off. Chuck offered to carry Sarah's single bag, but she declined with a shake of her head. He grabbed his bags and stated walking to their quarters, Sarah walking behind him. He held the door open for her as they entered the building.

Chuck looked at the map on the wall in the lobby and then at the room number listed on his note. He turned and started walking in the direction of his room with Sarah following behind him. Standing in front of his door he turned the knob and found that it is unlocked. Chuck opened the door and glanced around the room. Sarah's room was directly across from his. She opened her door and started to walk into her room. She turned and started to speak to Chuck as he was about to close his door. "Chuck, I.."

Chuck held up his hand to stop her. His face red with anger. "Save it agent Walker. Since we left Fort Meade you haven't said a single word other than to ridicule me for talking to director O'Hara. You act as if you're the only one being punished by this arrangement. Do you think that this is what I want? To have you looking at me every day, seeing me as the reason that you and Bryce can't be together? It was clear when you left that you thought Bryce was better than me, even after you knew how he betrayed me. It's obvious that you don't want to be here.." He sighed in defeat as he ran his hand through his hair. "Tell you what agent Walker, I'll tell Graham and Beckman that I've changed my mind and that I want to go to a bunker. You'll be free of all this and can run back to your precious Bryce. Ok?" He was seething by now all of the pent-up anger and rage that he had been holding since she left escaping in a single outburst.

Sarah stood there stunned speechless by Chuck's outburst. The hurt, anger and rage that he expressed was palpable. Nothing in all of her time as an agent prepared her for the bitter truth served Bartowski style. Chuck stared at her, his eyes full of defeat expecting some type of response, some explanation for her behavior – there was none. "I'm sorry Chuck." was all she could say as she turned and entered her room closing the door behind her.

Chuck went into his room and scanned his new home. The VOQ that he had been staying in looked like the Ritz compared to this place. Spartan would be an appropriate term. The kaki colored cinder block walls were bare except for a map showing the emergency exits. A small flat screen TV sat on a stand that also served as a dresser. There was a twin sized bed along the one wall and a desk and chair was on the other. There was a small closet that appeared able to hold about one-half of the clothes that he brought. The bathroom was equally sparse, containing a shower, toilet, sink and small mirror. He opened his bags and started pulling out his toiletries and what clothing items he thought that he would need while here. The other items he left in his bags and threw them in the closet.

Chuck flopped down on the bed and found that his feet were hanging over the end. Lying on his back he stared at the acoustic tile ceiling, trying to calm himself down by counting the tiles in the room. Part of him chastised himself for losing his temper and telling Sarah the truth about how he felt about the situation. The other part said that he had gone easy on her considering what he learned about the real Samantha Lisa Barton from his flash. He saw her psychiatric profile in her records. He cursed Graham for sending her to handle him when she had no experience and sociopathic tendencies due to her previous mission. Rather than get her the treatment that she needed, Graham decided that an 'easy' assignment would serve the same purpose. Chuck saw her mission updates, how she referred to him as a mark. As much as he'd hate to admit it, Alex Forest was a better handler than Sarah Walker.

Unable to calm down after his outburst, Chuck decided to get some exercise. Throwing on a pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt, he grabbed his running shoes and threw them on. Grabbing his Buy More jacket from his bag, he threw the room key that was left on the dresser in his coat pocket and grabbed his iPhone. Once out side of the barracks, he started running down the street trying to scan for points of interest such as the cafeteria and the gymnasium.

Sarah Walker lay on her bed staring at the ceiling tiles much like Chuck had. She wondered if this was the end of her career as an agent. Deep down, she knew that everything that Chuck said was true. She didn't want to be there and she couldn't stop feeling that Chuck was responsible for this mess despite the facts being the opposite. Sure things had become strained between her and Bryce, but he didn't make demands from her. He didn't care if she had to seduce a mark to get what they needed to accomplish a mission. As long as she kept him happy in bed when he wanted it, he was fine. He didn't want to know about the real girl behind the agent. To be honest, he didn't care. Being with Bryce was easy. He was just like her dad, always willing to use anyone at anytime to get what he needed. Guys like Chuck were the sheep that the wolves like Bryce, her father and her preyed on.

She was truly screwed thanks to her behavior today. Even if Chuck successfully got Graham and Beckman to let him go to a bunker, her boss would know that it was because of her and either demand her resignation or give her an assignment that will make her wish she did quit. Knowing Beckman, she would probably have Casey arrange for her to be in an 'accident'. Sarah knew that she had to fix this mess, she just didn't know how.

While she tried to run different approaches in her mind, she heard the door open and close across the hall. 'Where could he be going?' She thought. 'Just what I need. Chuck hasn't been here a day and already he's off doing what he wants.' She sighed and laid back down on the bed as her phone began to ring. Seeing the caller ID, she quickly answered. "Casey, why are you calling?"

"I'm trying to save what's left of your career." Casey tersely replies.

Sarah blanches at Casey's response. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been with your new partner for all of 4 hours and already you've managed to piss him off more than I've ever seen him. And trust me, I've seen him pissed off." Casey growled.

"You've bugged my room! How could you?" She challenged.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch Walker, the bugs are in the mor-, I mean Chuck's room." Casey paused. "Walker, what exactly was your assignment?"

Sarah was the one pissed off now. 'How dare he question my professionalism?' She thought. "Obviously you know what it was or you wouldn't have asked." Sarah replied sarcastically.

"So your mission was to piss him off so much that he would volunteer to go to a bunker to get away from you?" Casey replied with equal sarcasm. "Do you know where your partner is now?"

If Sarah thought that she was screwed before, Casey's comments removed all doubts. While she laid in her bed making up excuses for her behavior and trying to assign the blame to Chuck, he left his room and she didn't bother to find out where he went. There was no point in lying. Casey already knew the truth. "No, Casey. I don't know where he went. Do you know where he is?"

"Right now he's running like he wants to kill someone – probably himself. He's probably looking for the gymnasium."

Sarah knew why he was upset, but is surprised that he'd taken up exercise as a release. She did the same thing herself. In fact, she was planning on putting on her workout clothes, finding the gym and laying waste to the heavy bag until she was so tired she didn't care. "When did he take up running?"

"So many layers to the Bartowski onion huh Walker? You and I both had him pegged as a loser geek because he chose to work at a retail electronics store to be with his best friend, because he chose to live with his sister. You were perfectly happy keeping him under your spell so he would do your bidding. When he rebelled, you punished him."

"So why are you here major?" Sarah is tired of where this conversation was going.

"When Graham decided that you should be his bodyguard, Beckman blew a fuse. After the way you behaved in Burbank, leaving not only Chuck, but your partner without a word, Beckman didn't want you within a mile of Chuck ever again. Graham was adamant, that this was your last chance to repair your career so Beckman relented under the provision that I be there to act as an instructor."

"So you're here to spy on me and report back to the general?"

"I'm here to do what you're supposed to be doing, protect the Intersect. So what are you going to do Walker?"

"What's the point? As soon as you make your report to Beckman, I'll be gone."

"If you don't pull your head out of your ass Walker, you'll end up behind bars for failing to do your duty. This is a security detail Walker, you took an oath. Do your damn job and maybe I won't let Beckman know what a colossal screw-up you have been so far."

"Why are you doing this for me Casey?"

"Who said that I'm doing this for you? After you left, Chuck and I had a confrontation and I learned that he wasn't the loser that we thought he was. There's a fire in his belly. He was so in awe of you that he became whatever you wanted him to be. Chuck will blame himself for your failure and I won't let that happen. He just entered the gym. Looks like he's about to take his anger with you out on the heavy bag. You've got 10 minutes Walker, if I don't see you by then making nice to him, I will call the general and you can take your chances. It's up to you." Casey ends the call before she can offer any response.

Grabbing her workout clothes from her bag she dressed in 3 minutes and was out searching for the gym in 5. Forgetting her jacket, the cold February breeze cut her as she ran to save her career..


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

Sarah's lungs were burning from the cold air as she ran into the gym. Luckily, she remembered where the gym was from her days here as a young agent in training. Leaning over she rested her hands on her thighs and tried to bring her breathing back to normal. She cursed Casey under her breath. He knew that she would have to run as fast as she could to make it there in the 10 minutes that he gave her. There was no doubt in her mind that he would have reported everything to the general if she hadn't gotten there in the time he gave her. Sarah realized that she had not only betrayed Chuck, but her partner as well with her departure.

Standing back upright again, she started searching the gym to find Chuck. Just as Casey had told her, he was in the dojo viciously attacking the large bag. Sarah watched silently as Chuck worked the bag with his hands, feet, legs and arms with the precision of an expert. Exhausted, he laid down on the mat that surrounded the bag, covering his eyes with his arms. His bare feet, arms, and legs are red from his relentless attacks on the bag. Both of his hands are covered in blood from his efforts and not taping them up.

She started to take a step towards him as he spoke. "What do you want agent Walker?" Chuck was still panting and his arms never moved from covering his eyes. "I already told you that I'd tell Graham and Beckman I want the bunker so you can be free of me."

Sarah knew that to start the conversation off with an apology would sound like the lie that deep down she thought it was. She did her job as ordered. Graham gave her the choice to go back to Bryce and she took it. Professionally, she owed Chuck nothing. "Yeah, about that, Casey's here keeping an eye on you. Beckman doesn't trust me." Chuck had to laugh at the ironic truth in that statement. "The major let me know that if you ask for the bunker, he'll let them hear the surveillance tapes he has."

"What surveillance tapes?" Chuck asked as he lifted one of his arms to look directly at her.

"Your room is bugged. Casey has every part of your speech that you gave me on tape, including your offer to go to a bunker to be rid of me." She paused and looked directly back in his eyes. "If you ask for the bunker, Casey will play the tape. It's that simple and I'll be lucky if I don't end up in a cell somewhere, or a shallow unmarked grave." She looked at the floor defeat in her voice. "My only option is to do what I was ordered to do – to get you through training alive and hope for the best."

Chuck had moved to where he was resting on his elbows looking at her. He never wanted to hurt her in spite of what she did to him. In fact, he had hoped that Sarah would stay with Bryce and that he would never see either one of them again. He wanted to move on with his life.

"What if I talk to Casey? Get him to 'lose' the tape."

Sarah shook her head. "Casey has his orders. The general wants you leading your own team of agents. Nothing less than that will do.. Even if Casey doesn't tell, Graham and Beckman will still see it as a failure on my part."

"So we're screwed?" Chuck sighed.

"Yeah pretty much." Sarah replied.

"So where do we go from here?"

Sarah knew that things had to change and fast. There was no way they could stay together for 6 weeks and not run into another situation where Casey would report on her behavior – unless she really changed. She knew that this was more than simply keeping her job, this was about survival.

Sarah closed the distance between the two of them to where she was over him. She leaned down and extended her hand to him. He grabbed her hand and she pulled him up from the mat. Not letting go of his hand, she offered a shy smile. "How about a do-over, a new beginning. Nothing but the truth, ok? Besides, you seem to know everything about me, so there's no point in lying. So what do you say? A reboot?" She grinned as she asked the question, knowing he would pick up on the computer reference.

Chuck listened carefully to every word that she said and watched her body language and facial expressions as she spoke. He knew that she was a master at manipulation and he couldn't trust her. He assumed that she reached the same conclusion that he did. They had to make nice with each other and appear to get along until he was through with his training. They both knew that Casey was watching and now Chuck suspected that others like Maureen were too.

Deciding to play along, Chuck shook her hand and spoke first. "Agent in training Charles Carmichael also known as Charles Irving Bartowski. It's nice to meet you." Chuck smiled as he shook her hand, but she could see it wasn't one like he gave her in Burbank.

Sarah returned the gesture. "Agent Sarah Walker, also known as Samantha Lisa Barton, Jennifer Burton, Victoria Winterbourne, you get the idea. It's a pleasure to meet you too. And please, call me Sarah. I think partners should be on a first name basis, don't you?" Her smile actually met her eyes as she let go of his hand.

Part of Chuck desperately wanted her actions to be sincere. But the other part knew that this could be merely another role she was playing, another mark she was working. "Please call me Chuck. My friends call me that."

"Am I your friend Chuck?" Sarah asks shyly.

"I want to believe that you are." Chuck replies solemnly.

Wanting to change the subject, Sarah asks. "I was watching you work the heavy bag. You were pretty impressive. Was that part of a download?"

"I took a Jujitsu course at Stanford for a PE credit, but most of it's from you know where.." Chuck was careful not to mention the Intersect by name in a public area. "Do you know if they have a pool here? I could really use a swim to cool down right now."

"There's an olympic size pool at the other end of the building." Sarah replied as she pointed to in the direction of the pool."

"Cool." Chuck jumped to his feet and started to walk in the direction of the pool. He turned to face Sarah and inquired. "You coming?" As he walked out of the room.

Sarah turned and followed Chuck out the door and down the corridor to where the pool was. Chuck grinned as he opened the doors and looked at the pool. It was exactly as she described. He glanced at the walls looking at the various warnings and restrictions. He walked into the room and stood by the edge of the pool. Chuck mumbled to himself. "Aw what the hell." As he started removing his clothes, stripping down to his black boxer briefs. Walking to the edge of the pool he dove in and began swimming.

Sarah stood and watched as Chuck stripped down and dove into the pool. She had never seen him this close to undressed before and she is surprised by what she saw. Chuck had the body of a swimmer, lean, toned and well-defined. She watched as he swam lap after lap, his form flawless. He stopped and stood up, using his hands to push his wet hair off of his face.

Sarah looked at him and commented. "I don't think that what you're wearing qualifies as swimwear."

Chuck grinned and replied. "Why not? I'm wearing them and I'm swimming ergo, swimwear.. The water's perfect. Care to join me?"

Sarah actually blushed at Chuck's offer. "No, I don't think so. Besides, I don't have a swimsuit with me.."

"Are you wearing underwear?" Chuck asks still grinning.

"Of course I am.."

"Then what's the problem? I've seen you in your swimsuits and they are a lot more revealing than any underwear that you may have on." Chuck surprised himself with his boldness, but then attributed it to the fact that he was no longer trying to impress Sarah.

Wanting to remove the smirk from Chuck's face, she replied. "Oh what the hell.." And started taking off her clothes, as Chuck stared, trying to keep his jaw from dropping. She stood there for a couple of seconds in her jogging bra and boy-cut panties knowing that he was staring at her. Deep down she is pleased that she still had that effect on him. She gracefully dove in and started swimming a lap while Chuck stood and watched as she swam to the other end of the pool and back.

To Sarah, the water was a little cooler than perfect as evidenced by the two protruding bumps in her wet bra. She had to cover her mouth to hide the smile forming as Chuck tried not to stare and failed miserably. "I was watching you swim. Your form was flawless. Was that part of a download?"

Chuck's smile evaporated. "No, that was eight years of lessons and competition. Did you know that I still hold the state of California high school records for the 200 and 400 meter freestyle? That I was offered athletic scholarships from UCLA and San Diego State, but turned them down for an academic scholarship from Stanford?"

"Look Chuck, I'm so-"

Chuck cut her off before she could apologize. "You don't have to apologize for doing your job. I understand that my past wasn't pertinent to your mission, I really do. You and Casey both saw what you wanted to see – an underachieving geek in a dead-end job who lived with his sister, nothing more." Chuck turned and began swimming laps again alternating between freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke.

Sarah stood there in silence and watched as he returned to swimming laps. There was no anger or malice in Chuck's voice. He simply explained how things were. Chuck was correct, she did only see what was important to the mission. Despite the promise of a 'do-over', Sarah was going to have her work cut out for her if she wanted to make this work. Chuck was no longer an innocent. He had been thrown into the spy world against his will, and all the ugly little secrets that goes with it.

Chuck stopped to face her after completing a lap. He smiled and asked "Do you want to race? A little competition to get the blood pumping?" Chuck knew from her personnel records that she had been on a high school swimming team her freshman and sophomore years of school, but had to drop it when she and her father moved to San Diego.

The competitor in her kicked in. She saw that Chuck was a good, no very good, swimmer and that she hadn't competed since her sophomore year of high school. She needed to improve her chances. "How much of a head start will you give me?"

"How much do you want?"

"Depends on the distance."

"Let's say 200 meters. How much head start would you want?" Chuck grinned.

"100 meters." Sarah replied also grinning to see if his arrogance would allow it.

"How about 50?" Chuck countered.

"What do I win if I beat you?"

"What do you want?"

"How about dinner? The finest food that the cafeteria can provide?" Sarah laughed. "And what do you want if you win?"

Chuck thought about the question. 'What did he want from her?' What she was asking for would have happened anyway. She has to eat with him for 'protection' anyway and the cafeteria is the only place to get food on the base. "How about a back rub?" He asks.

Sarah hid her smile as he made his request. Deciding to play along, she replies. "I don't know agent Carmichael if I'll be able to control myself."

Chuck winked and said "That's what I'm counting on agent Walker." Sarah stood there stunned for a few seconds before realizing that Chuck was just trying to see what type of reaction he would get from his request.

"Sure why not? It's not like you're going to win." Sarah winked back at him.

"We'll see Sarah, we'll see.." Chuck explained the rules saying that it would be 200 meters freestyle from a diving start. Chuck would wait until she completed the first 50 meters. Sarah nodded her head in agreement wishing that she would have asked for a bigger head start. They stood there side by side as Chuck explained that she could start whenever she was ready as he tried not to stare at her in her wet underwear.

Sarah dove into the water and Chuck stood and watched until she had completed her turn at the other end of the pool. Chuck dove in and was over half way down the pool before he surfaced. Reaching his first turn he glanced to see that she was nearly to the wall for her turn. He calmly continued to stroke as he continued to gain ground on her. Chuck was only a length behind Sarah as they approached the final turn. Chuck closed this distance with a powerful kick-turn. As he started to pass her, Chuck decided that he didn't need to beat her to prove he was better at something. He acted as if he had a cramp in his thigh and slowed enough for her to win by a half a length. Sarah smiled as she emerged from the water.

"Well, you beat me fair and square." Chuck smiled. "But I think that I'm entitled to a re-match, you know, what with my cramp and all.."

It was then she realized that Chuck had let her win. "You didn't have to let me win. I can handle losing to you.." Her smile disappeared as she spoke.

"I know that." He replied solemnly. "I just liked the idea of you and me competing at something that I have a little confidence in." He paused and then gave her a Burbank Bartowski smile. "Seeing you in your wet underwear is just a bonus."

Seeing Chuck give her his special 'Sarah' smile gave her hope. Hearing his compliment made her blush. "You're not so bad yourself." She replied admitting that she had probably snuck as many glances at him as he had at her.

"Gee, you think so?" He asked as he stood there in a body builder pose.

Sarah had to laugh at the way he stood there flexing. 'Leave it to Chuck to lighten the mood by making fun of himself.' She thought. "I haven't eaten all day and I'm starting to get hungry. Let's head back to our rooms, change and then have that scrumptious cafeteria dinner that I won."

"Sure thing, Sarah. I'm hungry too. Let me see if I can find us some towels and dry off first." Chuck started walking back to the locker rooms in search of dry towels. Sarah stood there alone suddenly embarrassed that someone could see her in her underwear besides Chuck. She had started putting on her jogging pants when Chuck reappeared with a couple of towels. Chuck was starting to dry his hair first as he tossed her one. She thanked him and started to dry her legs as quickly as she could. Chuck watched as she dried herself off while doing the same himself.

Chuck quickly threw on his jogging pants and his hoodie as looked for a bench to set on to tie his shoes. Sarah pulled on her top and followed Chuck to the bench to put on her shoes. Once they finished Sarah asks. "Are you ready?" Chuck simply nods as he follows her out the door, his Buy More jacket draped over his arm.

Outside the building, he watched as Sarah shivered from the February chill. Handing her the Buy More jacket, he said. "Here, put this on. I don't want my partner catching a cold do I? He opened the coat and gently draped it over her shoulders. She smiled and thanked him as they walked back to their barracks.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Director O'Hara ended her call with Graham. She didn't need John Casey monitoring Carmichael and Walker. She had people and equipment all over the base to do that for her. Graham had requested that she keep an eye on the two agents and report to him anything that could lead to an issue. She didn't know why Walker and Carmichael were at the farm, her job wasn't to question why. Obviously, Carmichael was very important - why else would she have to have daily briefings with the Director of the CIA?

O'Hara knew that there was a history between the two agents. You didn't have to be a spy to see that from the way they looked at each other. She could only hope that things are resolved enough for the two of them to complete their assignment.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

Dinner was a quiet affair. The cafeteria was nearly empty with the exception of the employees and a few agents that were also there for re-qualification. Small talk between the two is limited to 'safe' topics, mostly Ellie, Morgan, and Casey. They were about to leave when they heard a familiar voice. "Well if it isn't agents Walker and Carmichael. Imagine meeting you here.."

Chuck rose from his seat to shake Casey's hand. "Major Casey, it's good to see you. So how are things in Burbank?"

Sarah looked up from the table acknowledging his presence by simply saying "Major."

"I wish that I could say the same, but I'm sure that Blondie has already told you why I'm here." I gather from you eating together that you two have patched things up." He smirked as he looked at them. "So Walker, where's your boy-toy Larkin? Off screwing up another team's chemistry?" Casey was being a prick to Sarah and he didn't care. Between the way she left in Burbank and how she behaved earlier with Chuck, he didn't care if she liked him or not.

Sarah sat there in silence, unable to come up with any type of defense for her actions. Chuck decided to come to her aid. "Lay off of her Casey. We're trying to work things out."

The major just grinned. "Wow Walker, you're good. It's only been a couple of hours and already you've got your faithful puppy back on your leash." Casey stopped grinning and looked Chuck in the eye. "There's an old saying, 'those that forget the past are doomed to repeat it'. Words to live by Chuck, words to live by." Casey turned around and walked out of the cafeteria as Chuck glared at him with the same menace in his eyes as the day they found out Sarah had gone. "I'll be seeing you."

"Thank you Chuck. You didn't have to defend me. I can take care of myself against the likes of John Casey." Sarah commented.

Chuck simply smiled. "I know you can. I can't let anyone pick on my partner, can I?" He glanced at his watch. "It's getting late and I'd like to get up around 5 so I can get a quick run in and a shower before breakfast."

"When did you start running?" Sarah asked.

"Right after you left. I had a lot of pent-up frustration to deal with, so I started running. Turns out it was a good thing or I'd have a harder time adjusting to the physical skills downloads that I took. Emily, I mean Dr Winters told me that I needed to do some weight training also to prevent muscle pulls and sprains." Chuck glanced at his watch and signed. "It's getting late and I'm sure we have a long day ahead."

Chuck rose up from the table waiting for Sarah. He helped her slip on her jacket as they walked back to the barracks. They walked in comfortable silence. Sarah glanced at Chuck who appeared to appeared to be lost in thought. Approaching the doors to their respective rooms, Chuck turned to face Sarah and extended his hand to her. She returned the gesture pleased that the evening hadn't been a total disaster. They briefly shook hands as Chuck said goodnight. His gentle caress of her hand flooding her mind with the pleasant memories of her time in Burbank. She smiled and returned his goodnight as she turned and entered her room.

Chuck slept surprising well that night considering the previous day's events and the anticipation of what was going to happen as part of his training. The alarm on his phone sounded exactly at 5:00 am and he fought the urge to hit the snooze at least once. Walking to the dresser, he pulled out a clean pair of sweats and slipped them on. He pulled on a pair of socks and tied his running shoes. Unplugging his iPhone from the charger, he slipped it into his pocket along with his keys and left his room. Chuck was locking his door as he heard Sarah opening her door. She was also dressed in sweats and running shoes. She smiled and turned to lock her door.

Minutes later they were well into their leisurely run along the streets around the base. Both Chuck and Sarah ran in silence, seemingly lost in their own thoughts. As they were returning to the barracks, Sarah decides to make the last kilometer a sprint as she broke into a run. Seeing Sarah pull away, Chuck smiles and waits before breaking into a run himself. He effortlessly passes her and continues to pull away as they reach their quarters. Before entering their building, Sarah stops and bends over, her hands resting on her legs trying to take in more air.

"I guess that I'm not in as good of shape as I thought." Sarah gasped between breaths. She looked up to see Chuck leaning against the wall barely breathing hard. "Is running in the Intersect too?" She inquires.

Chuck grinned. "No, but if you want to run with the captain, you better be ready for the sprint that comes at the end." Chuck holds the door open so that Sarah could enter the barracks. He follows her through the door and down the corridor to their rooms. They stand at their respective doors as Chuck turns to ask how they should dress for their meeting with O'Hara and the general. Sarah replies that the fatigues provided for them should be sufficient as she enters her room telling him to meet him in 30 minutes and they could get breakfast first.

Chuck showered quickly as the quantity of hot water seemed to be metered to about 5 minutes. He'd store that away for future reference. He stood in front of the mirror while brushing his teeth debating if he should shave off his week's worth of beard that he started. Deciding against that, he simply took his razor and shaved his neck to give it a neater appearance. Between the shorter hair and the beard, Chuck looked more mature, more like how he thought an agent should look – more like Bryce.

He dressed in his khaki fatigues and was waiting outside his room as Sarah emerged from hers exactly 30 minutes later. She was dressed in her fatigues, her hair pulled into a pony tail and threaded through the back of her baseball cap. Chuck could only look and smile. Sarah noticed his grin and asked why he was smiling, if there was something wrong with the way she is dressed.

"No, but this proves what I always thought about you." Chuck replied.

"What's that?"

"That you'd look good dressed in a flour sack. Let's get breakfast." Chuck turned and started walking down the corridor and out of the barracks.

Sarah stood there for a few seconds, touched by the sincerity of his compliment. It was her turn to grin this time as she followed him out of the building. They walked side by side in silence to the cafeteria. Unlike the night before, the place was full of people and buzzing with activity. They walked through the line selecting their food and then displayed their ID badges issued the day before to the cashier. She ran them through the scanner like a credit card and returned them as they took their trays looking for a place to sit.

Chuck spots Casey sitting alone at a table and decides to sit with him. Sarah reluctantly follows behind him. Approaching the major's table Chuck greet him. "Good morning Casey, big day huh?"

Casey looks up to see Chuck's smiling face and Sarah behind him as he gestures for them to sit as he grunts something that sounded like sit down. They sit down and begin to eat as Casey nurses his large cup of coffee. Chuck decides to break the awkward silence at the table. "So, major, what's your cover for your time while you're keeping an eye on me?"

Casey grins. "I'm here as a hand to hand combat instructor." He paused to see what Chuck's reaction would be. Secretly he is surprised when it was Chuck smiling at the thought. He would have bet that Bartowski would be shaking at the thought of Casey being able to throw him around the room at his mercy using training as an excuse. "I heard that you gave a couple of NSA instructors a pretty good display... I think that they were holding back.. I promise you that I won't hold back."

Chuck looked up from his food and smiled. "I hope not. This should be interesting.." He returned his attention back to his breakfast. Sarah watched as Casey's smirk faded at Chuck's comment, convinced that he was actually afraid of Chuck. She knew that she was – this was not the same guy she met months ago.

As he finished eating, Chuck glanced at his watch and commented. "Better get going. Don't want to be late for our meeting." He rose up from the table with his tray in hand. Sarah followed suit and was walking behind him. Chuck stopped and turned to face the major. "Are you coming Casey?"

John grinned. "No, I'm not in your meeting. The general will keep me informed of what I need to know."

"Ok then. I assume that we'll see you later." Chuck turned and walked to the cart to drop off his tray where Sarah was waiting.

Minutes later they were standing in the lobby of the Admin building showing their credentials to the receptionist. She told them to wait as they would be escorted to the conference room. They were sitting in the conference room next to director O'Hara's office when she arrived. Her limp was slight as she walked into the room confidently. He'd never been able to guess just how badly she had been injured when she was shoved off of the roof of a four story building in Sosnowiec Poland five years ago without 'seeing' her files. Chuck and Sarah both stood as she entered the room and waited as she walked to the other side of the table.

Maureen smiled seeing Chuck dressed in fatigues. She gestured for them to take a seat as she sat down. "Good morning agents." She smiled, but never broke eye contact from Chuck. "I trust that you have gotten yourself settled in? I hope that you enjoyed your last day of rest." She laughed at her last statement.

Chuck laughed and started to speak, but is interrupted by the large monitor flickering on at the end of the room. Instantly, the not so smiling face of one Diane Beckman appeared on his screen. Her normal scowl replaced with a look of concern. Chuck could sense that the concern was not for him or the others in the room.

Deciding to get this over as quickly as possible, she began to speak. "Director O'Hara, agents Walker and Carmichael, I have a very busy schedule and I'll be as brief as possible." She paused as if in deep thought. "Today, agent Carmichael, you begin an accelerated training program. I need nothing less than 100% of your focus on this task." She looked at Chuck who was giving her his full attention. "Director O'Hara will be serving as Director Graham's surrogate. You are to take any order from her as if it came from director Graham. Is that understood?"

The pair nodded their heads and replied. "Yes general."

The general looked at the pair and then announced. "Maureen, could you and agent Walker leave the room for a minute? I need to speak to agent Carmichael in private." The pair nodded, got up from their seats, and walked out of the room. Once the door closed, Chuck nodded that they were gone.

Chuck held up his hand as if asking for permission to speak in class. The general simply nodded. "General, mam, does director O'Hara know about this?" He tapped the side of his head with his finger.

"No agent Carmichael, she doesn't. And I want to keep it that way." Chuck gave her an understanding nod. The general resumed her explanation. "She's a smart woman. She knows that you're more than an analyst turned agent. The fact that you report directly to director Graham and myself tells her that. I'm sure that you flashed on her, what do you think?"

"I think we can trust her. She had an excellent record as a top field agent until her injury. There was never any mention of anything that would raise suspicions regarding her loyalties." Chuck replied.

The general's expression softened a little. "Very good. You will be working closely with her for the next six weeks, along with agent Walker." Chuck could see the expression on the general's face change to a frown at the mention of Sarah's name. "Be very careful what you say around either of them. I did not want agent Walker working with you again after the way things ended in Burbank, but director Graham was insistent that she be assigned. I'm not sure if we can trust her.."

Chuck is shocked to hear the general admit that she didn't trust Sarah, but he kept his feelings in check. "Are you afraid that she would turn to Fulcrum?" He asks.

"No, not that. Her actions as recently as yesterday, seem to indicate that she's unfocused on her mission. I will remind her after we're done of this fact.. We seem to have a serious problem with Fulcrum agents infiltrating all the government agencies. I will be sending you personnel records every day for you to look at and see if you flash on anything. I explained to director O'Hara that you need a couple of hours every day to perform 'tasks' for the agency. She will provide you an office in a secure location. If there are no questions, please send in agent Walker. That will be all."

Chuck simply nodded and rose from his seat. He walked out of the room and told Sarah that the general wanted to speak to her in private. She nodded and walked back into the room taking the same seat as she had before. As soon as she is seated, the general began to speak. "Agent Walker, I understand that you did not want this assignment?" Sarah nodded her head silently. "I feel the same way. I didn't want you around him, but the director was insistent that you be here.. As you already know, I've sent major Casey to keep an eye on the both of you." She paused, trying to read Sarah's reaction to the information.

Beckman leans forward in her seat, making her face appear to grow on the monitor. "Agent Carmichael is the most valuable asset that either agency has at the moment. Your job is to protect him – at all costs. If anything should happen to the Intersect that can be attributed to your action, or inaction, there will be serious consequences – I have director Graham's agreement on this. Do you understand me agent Walker?"

Sarah swallowed hard and replied. "Yes general, I understand." The menace in Beckman's voice left little doubt of her meaning when she said 'consequences'.

The general moved back into her seat and her expression softened a little. "Good. Now that we understand each other, send the others back in and we can finish this up."

Sarah got up from her seat, still stinging from the general's tongue lashing. She walked to the door and gestured for the others to return to the meeting. The remainder of the meeting went surprisingly smooth, their schedules are reviewed along with the curriculum for their time there. The general ended the session in her normal abrupt manner leaving the three of them to stare at each other.

Maureen closed the folder that she had on the table and smiled. "You two know what's expected of you, so I'll let you get started. You have a very busy schedule." And with that she rose from her seat and walked out of the conference room.

Sarah sat there for a few seconds, her mind a million miles away wondering how things had gotten so screwed up. Chuck knew that Beckman had a few choice words for her decided to speak. "Look, Sarah, I'm so sorry that you've gotten caught up in all of this. I know that you want to be with Bryce, but I had nothing to do with any of this. All I can say is that I'm sorry.." Chuck reached across the table to try to caress her hand.

Sarah really wasn't listening to Chuck, her mind was still far away. When he touched her hand, she recoiled, as if shocked, snapping her from her thoughts. She watched as Chuck withdrew his hand and scooted away like a dog who was about to be kicked. He pushed himself up from his seat and walked out the door without a word. Sarah got up and followed him.

The first half of the day was spent in classes for procedural knowledge – knowing when and what branch of law enforcement was needed based upon location and the type of criminal activity. Chuck already knew most of this from the time he spent with Sarah and Casey. The instructor was very dry and boring which only made things worse. They broke for lunch early and Chuck and Sarah walked to the cafeteria in silence.

Sitting with their trays at a small table, Chuck began to eat his lunch looking like a child that was trying to figure out why they were being punished. Sarah sat there and picked at her food, not really wanting to eat at the time. Sarah decided to break the silence. "I'm sorry Chuck for my reaction to you touching me this morning. My mind was elsewhere at the time and it just took me by surprise."

Chuck's eyes never came up from his food. "That's ok. I shouldn't have tried to touch you. I didn't mean anything.. It won't happen again."

Sarah reached across the table and gently lifted his chin so that he had to look into eyes. "I had just gotten my ass chewed by the general and I was feeling sorry for myself, that's all. It's not your fault and if we're going to make it through this, we have to work together, understand?"

Chuck just nodded and pushed his chair away from the table leaving Sarah's extended arm holding air. He grabbed his tray from the table and walked to the cart to drop it off. Sarah could only watch as he walked out of the cafeteria alone. She hurriedly grabbed her tray and deposited it in the cart as she fast-walked out the door in pursuit.

Chuck was nearly at the gymnasium by the time she caught up to him. He opened the door and allowed her to enter first. Sarah mouthed a thank you as she walked past him and through the door. The pair went to their respective locker rooms and changed into the workout clothes provided there.

They walked into the room that is filled with about a dozen others, both male and female. This was a hand to hand skills re-qualification class and Chuck could only grin when he saw who the instructor was. John Casey smiled when he saw Chuck sitting on the mat along with the others. 'At last, a chance to throw the moron around the room and no one can say a thing about it.' Casey chuckled to himself. Sarah cast the major a wary glare as she knew what he was thinking. He introduced himself to the class and asked for a volunteer to help him demonstrate. Sarah raised her hand as she was keenly aware of his fighting skills. He ignored her and pointed at Chuck.

Chuck pointed at himself questioning if he heard correctly. Casey just smiled and nodded as Sarah shot him an angry glare. Casey instructed Chuck to take off his shoes and join him in the center of the class on the mat. Before he began, he explained to the class that as they were all there for re-qualification and not new students, that he would need to evaluate their skills to determine what areas they needed to focus on. The major told Chuck to assume a defensive position and that he would act as the attacker. Chuck flashed on the skill-set and assumed the proper position still smiling.

Casey just grinned seeing Chuck smiling. He knew that Chuck had some martial arts training a long time ago and that there was an Intersect download, but he was confident that his training was superior. The others in the room watched as Casey prepared for his attack. His first charge at Chuck was simply shrugged off by the lanky agent-in-training. The next attack was more thought out, circling Chuck looking for an opportunity to strike. Casey attacked with his hands and feet, trying to take Chuck off of his. He was able to block every one of Casey's blows with a grace that looked like he wasn't even trying.

Sarah, like the others watched the display with rapt attention. The major continued to attack, looking for a weakness in Chuck's defense, but finding none. His frustration and anger grew with each passing minute. Finally deciding to put an end to all of this Casey decided to resort to brute force, charging at Chuck like a linebacker. Ten seconds later, Casey was tapping out on the mat while lying on his back and Chuck's forearm pressed across his throat. Chuck rose to his feet and bent down to help the major to his feet while the others in the room looked on in shock. None was as surprised as Sarah. After watching the way he took care of the major, she wasn't sure if she could last more than a few seconds against him.

Casey instructed the students to break off into pairs to demonstrate their defensive skills as he walked around the gym. Casey pointed at Sarah and told her to work with agent Carmichael. She stood a few feet away from Chuck and he suggested that she be the attacker first. Sarah nodded as Chuck returned to his defensive posture. She began her attack, circling him while attempting to break through his defense with her hands, feet, arms, and legs. Chuck expertly blocked her attacks using his arms, legs and feet, using her body's momentum against her. As her frustration increased, Chuck simply stood there with a half-smile, never saying a word.

Feigning an injury, Sarah reached down and grabbed her ankle, rubbing it with her hand. Concerned that she might be hurt, Chuck moved in to check. Seizing the opportunity, Sarah attacked, knocking him from his feet and onto his back. Stunned for a split-second, Chuck lay there as she attempted to force him to submit. Suddenly, the roles are reversed, with Chuck's full body pressing her flat against the floor, unable to move. He just laid on top of her, pinning her arms flat against the mat while his body held her motionless. His half-smile had turned into a grin as her stared down at her. Chuck knew that Sarah was mad at him for besting her so easily. Acknowledging his win, Sarah tapped on the mat with the back of her hand.

Casey watched the pair and shouted for them to 'get a room' as he saw Chuck holding Sarah down on the mat laying on top of her. The other students turned to look at the pair and laughed, adding to Sarah's embarrassment. Slowly, Chuck got up off of her and extended his hand to help her to her feet. She slapped his hand away and pushed herself up, still mad and embarrassed. Casey called out to the group that it was time to reverse roles. Sarah assumed a defensive position and gestured for Chuck to attack her. He sighed and began a half-hearted series of attacks, which she easily rejected. Sarah chastised him for his poor attempts, trying to goad him into a serious effort. He continued his weak attacks which Sarah easily defended, only now she was throwing a punch or kick in return.

The major watched from across the room as Chuck continued his half-assed attempts to attack Sarah. "Damn it Carmichael, he shouted. Your lady feelings are going to get you flunked out of this class on the first day. Is that what you want? Don't you remember Burbank?"

Sarah stood there and watched as Chuck's expression changed from forlorn to angry. His eyes showed the same anger. She watched as Chuck tried to calm himself down as his expression changed from anger to disappointment. "I can't do it." Chuck sighed and started to turn his back to her.

Sarah felt that Chuck's refusal to attack challenged her ability and she let her pride take over. She walked behind him shoving him, trying to goad him into attacking her. "What's a matter Chuck? You can't hurt me." She mocked sarcastically. She then made the mistake of grabbing his shoulder trying to turn him to face her while she shouted. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

In less than a second, all the pent-up anger, hurt, and frustration that Chuck had felt since her departure from Burbank rose to the surface. Chuck spun, grabbing her arm and twisting it in such a manner that she was on her knees before she could defend herself. She winced, knowing that he could easily snap her wrist with little additional effort. She tried to punch his groin with her other hand, succeeding in only glancing against his thigh as he increased the pressure on her wrist. "Tap out agent Walker." Chuck calmly stated as he looked at her with a deep sadness in his eyes. "Don't bother, I forget about you agents and your 'pride'." Chuck released her arm and walked out of the room leaving a stunned Sarah rubbing her wrist.

Sarah rose to her feet to follow Chuck, but is stopped by Casey. "Leave him alone for a while. Knowing the moron, he's back there beating himself up for snapping at you – even though you provoked him." Casey grinned.

"Is this a result of the 'updates'?" Sarah asks.

"Don't think so. He went off on me back in Burbank right after we found out that you had left. I was giving him a hard time and he called me out. He dared me to hit him, threatening me if I did. I should have worked him over then. After seeing what he's capable of now, I'm not sure if I could." Casey replied.

"I need to apologize to him." Sarah sighed.

"For what?" The major inquires.

"For antagonizing him into fighting back."

"Do you really think that's what caused him to snap?"

Sarah shakes her head. "No, but it's the only thing that I'm responsible for."

Casey just shook his head. "Is that part of the CIA training program Walker? Accept no responsibility for anything that can be blamed on someone else. From the beginning, you asked him to trust you and he did without question. You lied to him about your relationship with Bryce. You left without a word and then when you're forced to be his partner, you treat him like you're back in Burbank, expecting him to blindly follow.." The major just shook his head with disdain and he turned and walked away still muttering to himself. "Why do I waste my breath? You're a lost cause."

Sarah stood there for a few moments, trying to process Casey's rant. She started walking back to the locker rooms just as Chuck was leaving, dressed in his fatigues, his hair still wet from the shower. He was putting on his coat as approached. Sarah started to speak, unsure of exactly what she was going to say. Chuck spoke first. "I'm sorry if I hurt your wrist agent Walker. I understand that you wanted me to attack you for the class, but I just couldn't. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I know how important it is for you spies. It won't happen again." He continued walking past her and out the door towards the Admin building.

Director O'Hara finished her phone call to Graham. News of the 'incident' at the gym between the two agents made its way to her quickly. As ordered, she reported everything to the director. In her mind the confrontation was necessary for the two agents to move forward. Graham didn't see it that way. He knew that Beckman would use this as proof of Walker's inability to 'handle' the asset.

Bryce Larkin had been captured and his team killed by Fulcrum agents. He needed a team to begin the search immediately. Sarah Walker knew Bryce better than anyone. He would pull her from her assignment 'protecting' Bartowski and let her lead the team looking for Bryce. This would allow Sarah and himself to save face. He called O'Hara and gave her the news. She suggested that they let agent Walker decide if she wants to leave her current assignment and Graham reluctantly agrees.

Sarah walked back to the locker room where she would shower and change back into her fatigues. She walked to the Admin building sitting in the lobby, waiting for Chuck to finish his 'other' duties. Sarah leafed through a couple of magazines trying to pass the time. It was after 4:00 pm when the administrative assistant for the director approached her. "Agent Walker?" The assistant inquires as Sarah looks up from the magazine and nods. "Director O'Hara would like to talk to you. Please follow me." The assistant turns and walks to the elevators, Sarah following behind.

Sarah walks into the director's office and she rises up from her desk and gestures for her to take a seat. "Sit down agent Walker." Maureen says with a smile. Sarah complies with the request and awaits what she expects to be another lecture about her behavior. The director's smile disappeared as she begins to speak. "I understand that you were less than thrilled when you were given this assignment?"

Sarah debates how she should respond, but assumes that she already knows everything by the way her question was phrased. "No mam. I'm a field agent, not a bodyguard."

"You were his handler when he was in California, right?" Sarah nods. "Didn't you have to protect him as a handler?" Walker nods again. "Did agent Carmichael do something to you? Is that why you don't want to be around him?"

Sarah shakes her head. "No mam. Chu- I mean agent Carmichael was always a perfect gentleman."

Maureen smiles at Sarah's comment. The director could tell that she either was compromised by Chuck, or was afraid that she would be. O'Hara knew what it was like to be in that position. She leaned forward from her seat to look Walker directly in the eye. "What if I were to offer you a way out of your current assignment that would allow you to save face?"


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20:**

Chuck read the mission reports looking for anything to flash on. It was all pretty cut and dry until he came upon one involving a joint DEA/NSA takedown of a drug kingpin with ties to Fulcrum. It appeared that the operation went bad and the suspect never appeared. The report indicated that it was feared that someone in either the NSA or DEA had tipped off the suspect. There was no physical evidence to support this accusation. Chuck continued to read the particulars of the mission, he realized that Carina was the DEA agent mentioned. His concern only increased when the report detailed the ambush of the two agents resulting in one being seriously wounded. The injured agent was being cared for at one of the local hospitals in Los Angles. Chuck decided that he would contact Ellie tonight and see if she could find out anything.

He continued reading the mission reports until he came to one that involved his old college pal Bryce Larkin. It seems that there was an incident in Colmar France involving Bryce. A team of Fulcrum agents somehow was able to capture him and killed his squad of protectors. Despite everything that had happened between them, Chuck felt bad for Bryce. He knew that Fulcrum would probably kill him just as soon as they found out that he wasn't the Intersect. Chuck wondered if he should tell Sarah. Then the flash hit him, he saw a former KGB safe house in Mulhouse which was only 20 miles from Colmar. This was probably where they were holding Bryce. He made a note of this in his daily report.

Chuck finished the mission reports and began looking at the personnel files that were sent. The personnel files would be sent prioritized based upon rank or function in the two agencies. He started with General Beckman. He flashed and could find nothing that would incriminate her. He then reviewed director Graham. Once again, nothing to indicate that he had anything but the agency's best interests at heart. That didn't mean that either was completely clean, both had ordered sanctions against civilians and leaders from other governments citing the 'greater good' as the reason. He flashed upon far too many heavily redacted files for either to be completely cleared.

Chuck continued reviewing records until he came to one for the deputy director of Asian operations for the CIA. The flash was painful and graphic. It appears that Nicholas Quinn was originally one of the candidates to receive the Intersect, but wasn't deemed fit due to his low retention scores. To help make up for the disappointment, Graham gave him the deputy director's job for Asia. Chuck was able to tie together his ties to the drug kingpin known only by the name Goliath. Chuck quickly noted his comments in his report and closed the files. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was already after five. 'Sarah will be pissed if I don't get done quickly.' He thought to himself. He returned the files to the lock box and walked to the door to signal that he was done. Seconds later, an agent opened the door and Chuck left the secure room.

In director O'Hara's office, Sarah shifted in her seat as she listened to the story. It appeared that Fulcrum had set a trap for Bryce and his team, taking him captive and killing the others. Sarah knew that time was of the essence, the longer he went missing the more likely he was dead. Once they figured out that Bryce wasn't the Intersect, he'd be of no value to them. Sarah fought back the thought that he would offer Chuck to save himself.

Maureen continued to speak. "Director Graham felt that because of your relationship with agent Larkin, it may be beneficial in helping to find him. I'm not sure if I understand the logic, but he is the boss." She paused glancing at Sarah, trying to read her expression. "You will be given your own team to try to bring agent Larkin in and hopefully take down those who killed his team. He was last seen in Colmar. With its close proximity to both Germany and Switzerland, they could be anywhere. Director Graham will provide additional information if you accept the assignment."

"What happens to agent Carmichael?" Sarah asks.

"I assume another agent will be assigned to him." She replied. "I can only guess that he is a very valuable asset, based upon the fact that you were assigned to 'partner' with him. Given the reports that I have gotten, I assumed that you would jump at the chance to get away from him."

Part of Sarah wanted to take the offer immediately. It was her chance to get away from Chuck before she could be further compromised by him. Sarah knew that she had developed 'feelings' for Chuck during her brief time in Burbank with him. Having feelings for an 'asset' went against everything that she was taught by her con man father and the CIA. 'Feelings' were just another sacrifice laid at the altar of 'the greater good'. Only time and distance would resolve this.

She knew that Beckman wanted her as far away from Chuck as possible. While Sarah was sure whatever feelings she had for Bryce were gone, the professional in her felt an obligation to help her former partner. She swallowed to clear her throat before speaking. "I'd like to discuss this with agent Carmichael first. I owe him that."

Director O'Hara smiled. "Take all the time you need, but I need an answer first thing tomorrow. The rescue team is being assembled as we speak. That will be all agent Walker." Sarah thanked the director and walked out of her office and back to the lobby.

Chuck was sitting in the lobby absent-mindedly fiddling with his phone when Sarah approached. "We need to talk." They both blurted simultaneously.

"Ladies first." Chuck spoke as he rose up from his seat.

"Let's walk back to the barracks." Sarah suggested. Soon they were outside the admin building, walking side by side. Sarah took a calming breath before speaking. "I just left a meeting with director O'Hara. It looks like Bryce has been captured by Fulcrum agents. They want me to lead a team to try to rescue him.."

"I know." Chuck replied emotionlessly. "I was reviewing the mission reports and came across the information."

"But how did you know about me being involved?" Sarah asks.

"I put 2 + 2 together. I know that you have feelings for Bryce. I know that you were his partner and understand best how he operates. I know that you're one of the best agents in the CIA. I didn't need this thing to figure that out." Chuck said as he taped his head with his finger, then paused for a second before continuing. "So when are you leaving?"

"I didn't give the director an answer yet. After the way I left Burbank, I felt that I owed you."

"Owed me what?" Chuck inquires.

"The opportunity to voice your opinion. I never asked you what you thought before I left you."

"Would it have made a difference?" Chuck asks, clearly confused.

"Probably not, but at least you would have known what was going to happen." Sarah sighed.

"You knew how I felt about you in Burbank. Trying to convince you to stay when you had already made up your mind would have been worse.. You need to do what you feel is right.. for you. My opinion doesn't matter."

Deep down, Sarah knew Chuck was correct. She needed to do what she thought was right. They approached the entrance to the barracks and Chuck held the door open for Sarah to enter. The pair walked down the corridor in silence, stopping as they reached their respective doors. "I'm sorry Chuck, but I think that I'm going to take the assignment." Sarah commented flatly.

"I understand." Chuck responded. There was nothing left to say. She made up her mind. Deciding to change the subject, he inquires. "So are we still on for dinner? The finest cuisine the mess-hall can provide?"

Sarah feigned a smile. "Sure, why not. See you in 30 minutes. I need to make a call to the director."

Chuck simply nodded and turned to walk into his room. Closing the door he walked to his bunk and plopped down causing it to bounce back with him. He draped his arm over his eyes trying to figure out if the CIA really hated him. Part of him was actually glad that Sarah was leaving. 'She belongs with Bryce, that's who she has feelings for.' He thought. Chuck wondered if Carina was ok after reading the mission log. He assumed that Carina pulled away from him when she found out he was working with Sarah again. Chuck knew that Ellie was still at work as it was only 3:30 in LA, and he really needed to talk to someone. He decided to try to call Carina one last time.

Chuck was surprised when Carina answered on the third ring. "Hey, Chuck. I'm kind of busy right now. Can I call you back later?"

Chuck wasn't sure if she was happy or pissed to hear him call. "Sure, no problem. Sorry for the interruption." He replied as he quickly ended the call. Glancing at his watch, he decided that it had been 30 minutes since he came into the room and headed towards the door. Exiting his room, he nearly fell into Sarah who was doing the same. Chuck zipped up his jacket before they left the building as it had gotten much colder as soon as the sun went down. He asked if she had made her call and Sarah simply nodded.

They walked into the cafeteria and got into a line to select their dinner. Soon they were sitting at a table eating in uncomfortable silence. Chuck speaks first. "So when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning." Sarah replies not providing any additional details.

"Oh. Did they say who would be your replacement?" Chuck asked. Sarah simply shakes her head. "I didn't think so.. Maybe they'll just let Casey keep an eye on me.. He's here already." Sarah shrugs her shoulders signaling that she doesn't know. Chuck leaned across the table and tries to speak to her in a voice slightly louder than a whisper. "I flashed when I looked at Bryce's mission report. I think that we have a mole somewhere that is leaking information to Fulcrum. I'm reviewing personnel records for everyone in the CIA and NSA. I haven't found out who it is yet, but I'll keep looking.. And Sarah?" She looks directly into his eyes. "There's a former KGB safe house in Mulhouse that might be a good place to start your search for Bryce. I already put it in my report."

Sarah thanked him for the information and the two got up from their seats and left the cafeteria. Soon they were back in the barracks and standing in front of their respective doors. Chuck stopped and turned to face Sarah before speaking. "If I don't see you before you leave, you be careful." He turned to unlock his door. "Oh and when you see Bryce, tell him that I said he's a lucky guy.."

Sarah stopped what she was doing and walked to Chuck, wrapping her arms around him. He turned to face her returning the hug. She rose up on her toes and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, as she gave him a squeeze. "Goodbye agent Carmichael. I'll never forget Burbank." Sarah released him and walked into her room.

Chuck stood there in the doorway for a few seconds realizing that he probably would never see Sarah again. He is surprised by how little Sarah's departure bothers him when Chuck realizes that he really knew nothing about the woman who was with him in Burbank. Everything that he learned about 'Sam' came via a flash and seemed to be in open conflict with the woman she portrayed herself to be. No, the woman that he fell in love with was an illusion created by the top seductress of the CIA. Chuck had read all of her files and knew how far Sarah would go to complete a mission. The romantic in him wanted to believe that it was real, but now he could see the truth.

Women like Sarah Walker were meant to be with guys like Bryce Larkin, not Chuck Bartowski, or Charles Carmichael, or any other alias the agencies might think up. The Chuck Bartowski's of the world are the cannon fodder used to serve the greater good, nothing more. As long as he had value, he would continue to live. He sighed, and walked into his room, closing the door.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21:**

The alarm on his phone blared as he fumbled trying to press the snooze button. Lying on his back, he stared at the ceiling drifting between sleep and wakefulness. He smiled thinking about his call to Ellie last night. She told him how Devon had proposed to her and she accepted. She sounded so happy. Chuck was happy for her. She deserved every bit of happiness that she could get. Ellie then returned to mother mode questioning him about his training and if he had met any 'nice' girls at work. Chuck told her that things were too hectic to even think about dating right now. He could feel Ellie's disapproving stare through the phone as she told him that there's always time for happiness. Chuck could only laugh at her comment.

Ellie then told him about Morgan and Anna Wu dating, telling Chuck that Anna was trying to get Morgan to move in with her. 'Was I holding Morgan back from growing up?' Chuck wondered. Ellie then began to question Chuck about when he was coming back to see her. He told her that maybe after he finished his training, he'd get a chance to come home. Chuck told her that it was late and that he'd call her again in a couple of days. They exchanged 'I love yous' and ended the call.

It took a while for him to fall asleep, but when he finally did, there were no bad dreams. The alarm sounded again and Chuck stopped it and crawled out of bed for his morning run. Slipping on his sweats, he tied his shoes and walked to the door while slipping his phone in his pocket. He stood in the doorway for a few seconds and stared at Sarah's door, wondering if she was gone already. He began his run along the streets of the base. It had gotten much colder last night and he felt his exposed hands and face numbing from the chill. Pulling the hood from his sweatshirt over his head and drawing the string tight, he picked up his pace hoping to warm himself.

Soon the run was over and he was in the shower when the text message came. Stepping out of the bathroom, he saw the telltale light blinking on his phone. 'Report to director O'Hara's office 0800.' was all that it said. Chuck finished dressing and went to the cafeteria for breakfast. He saw Casey sitting at his table nursing his coffee and decided to join him. "Good morning major." He greeted Casey with his best effort to sound happy.

Casey looked up from his coffee and grunted something that sounded like good morning in response. Chuck sat down at the table and began to eat his food when the major decided to speak. "So where's your 'girlfriend' Chuck?" Casey already knew the answer and just wanted to see how he'd react to the question.

"Gone." Chuck replied and returned his attention to his food.

Casey grinned. "Well look at you. All grown up now." Chuck looked up and glared at him for a second before returning to his meal. Casey's expression softened. "I never liked the way she treated you. I'm glad she's gone."

Chuck continued eating, assuming that Casey's comment was a setup to get him to show his 'lady feelings' and then be ridiculed by the major. Knowing that the major expected some type of response, he replied. "Shit happens." Chuck finished his breakfast in silence, then looked at his watch. "Well, I've got to see the director and listen to her tell me what I already know.." Chuck got up from the table, tray in hand and inquired. "I assume that I'll be seeing a lot more of you now?"

Casey just grinned. "Get out of here. You don't want to be late for your meeting." Chuck laughed and walked away.

Chuck was ushered into director O'Hara's office as Maureen gestured for him to take a seat. She rotated the monitor so that both of them could see the screen. The monitor showed a split screen with Langston Graham and Diane Beckman each sharing half. Graham decided to speak first. "Agent Carmichael, as you are aware, agent Walker was chosen to lead a team to rescue Bryce Larkin.

Chuck simply nodded. The general decided to speak next. "I understand that you and agent Walker weren't exactly getting along, so this may be a change for the better."

Graham spoke again. "The general, director O'Hara and myself are looking into potential replacements for agent Walker. This process may take a few days.."

Beckman spoke again. "Major Casey will be keeping an eye on you until a replacement is chosen.. Do you understand?" Chuck simply nodded. "Very well then." She replied and the monitor went blank.

Maureen grinned and remarked sarcastically "Well goodbye to you too!" Director O'Hara then turned and smiled as she looked at Chuck. "I get the feeling that agents Larkin and Walker were more than partners.. Is that why she jumped at the chance to find him?"

Chuck didn't know how to respond to her question without revealing how compromised he had let himself become when they were in Burbank. He decided to be as honest as possible. "They were the top CIA team for several years, often posing as husband and wife.." Chuck paused deciding to steer away any comments about Sarah. "Bryce _was_ my best friend a long time ago.."

Maureen smiled as she listened to the way he described Larkin as his friend in the past tense. She wondered if Walker was the reason for the falling out between the two, but decided not to press. "Don't worry agent Carmichael, we'll try to find you a suitable partner.. Very well then, you have a busy day ahead." Chuck thanked her as he left her office and went on to his first class of the day.

Dr Bowman sat in his office reviewing the psychological profiles for the group of potential 'partners' for agent Carmichael. He frowned as he read the files. It seemed that the agencies only recruited people with sociopathic tendencies for field agents. He understood that agents had to have a certain 'moral flexibility' to do the things that they were required to do, especially the female agents. That was why Sarah Walker was so successful, she had been raised from childhood that all people were either sheep or wolves – the hunters or the hunted.

Young agent Carmichael needed someone that he could trust implicitly with not only his life, but with his emotions. That stability was the key to keeping the Intersect functioning properly. The psychiatrist knew that any established field agent would probably be too jaded to work effectively with Chuck.

Director Graham had been adamant that his partner be a CIA agent. If agent Carmichael was to be an agent of the CIA for the record, then his 'partner' should be also. General Beckman didn't agree, but decided that it wasn't worth getting into a pissing match with Graham over, as long as Chuck took his orders from her.

Dr Bowman had told them to limit their candidates to agents with two years or less field experience, hoping that they hadn't been corrupted by their service of the greater good. He had also requested that agents from other agencies be included as a last resort. He continued scanning the files and narrowed the list down to the final 3 for the director to choose from.

The first one was a recent graduate with no field experience. She had finished at the top of her class in martial arts and marksmanship. She was an athlete, a college volleyball star, nearly 6 foot tall. Her IQ was in the top 3 percentile. Coming from a strong family environment, Bowman debated that this may serve as a stabilizing attraction for Chuck.

The second candidate was a year older than Chuck. She had limited field experience, but had performed very well from her mission reports. An expert marksman, she was also well versed in explosives. An orphan since early childhood, Bowman debated if she would be a good choice.

The last candidate was a long shot because she was not a CIA agent. Also a year older than Chuck, she lost her father when she was three. Her mother died when she was fifteen leaving her to care for herself and her sister. Unlike Chuck, she and her sister were shuffled through the foster care system until she received a full scholarship to Northwestern University. She joined the army upon graduation where she continued her studies and received her law degree. She served as an assistant prosecutor, helping to bring down a high ranking officer for sexual harassment of several female servicemen. Disillusioned by what she thought was a lenient punishment of the officer, she resigned her commission and was recruited by the FBI. Dr Bowman was impressed that her moral compass never seemed to waver. She could see things in black and white and not be confused by all of the grey that surrounds them. Olivia Dunham would be the perfect partner for Chuck.

Bowman finished typing his report with recommendations to the general and director. If they agreed to the candidates, he wanted to interview each one first to make sure they had made the proper choice. He sent the email and report and shut his computer down for the day.

When Dr Bowman returned to his office the next morning, he followed his usual routine by reading his emails while drinking his first coffee of the day. The first was from general Beckman telling him that there would be a teleconference with the three of them this morning and asking if he had looked at the file for a DEA agent Carina Miller.

The second was an email from director Graham also confirming the meeting this morning. He informed the psychiatrist that he had spoken to agent Dunham's superior officer and was informed that she was part of a special team and unavailable. Bowman frowned at this information as he was sure that she was the best fit.

He decided to follow-up on the general's suggestion and take a look at the file for agent Miller. He made a couple of calls and a few minutes later and electronic version of her file showed up in his email's inbox. Bowman started reading the file and began to smile. The daughter of general Diane Beckman and CIA agent Roan Montgomery, agent Miller was a top deep cover agent for the DEA. She was a free spirit and tended to play fast and loose with the rules. Surprisingly, she seemed to like people and was able to trust those she thought of as friends.

Bowman wondered if the general had suggested her because she was a good fit, or a potential beau for her daughter.

The remainder of the week is spent in procedural lectures in the morning followed by either firearms or martial arts classes. The last two hours of each day are spent locked away in the secure room reviewing mission reports and personnel files. There had been little to flash on with any of the mission reports and only a few of the hundred personnel files revealed anyone who may have ties to Fulcrum. Chuck made sure to carefully word his reports unless he had physical evidence to support his suspicions.

He spent each evening in the gym for a couple of hours working on the weight machines or swimming before having dinner and in bed by 9:00. Most nights the physical exertion from the exercise and dinner allowed him to fall asleep quickly. A few nights he lay wide awake either wondering if Bryce was correct, that he didn't have what it took to become a spy. Those nights were usually followed by bad dreams where he fails to protect either Sarah, or Carina, or Ellie.

By Friday evening, the other agents are allowed to leave the base for the weekend. Chuck was not. Casey usually kept him company during meals where they would discuss how his training was progressing. The major would throw a barb in here and there, but was careful not to mention Sarah. As much as he would hate to admit it, Casey really did begin to think of Chuck as an annoying younger brother. Chuck would occasionally tease Casey about agent Forest and his lady feelings for her. He poked and prodded until the major finally confessed that he did have 'feelings' for her with a series of grunts and growls. Rather than razz him, Chuck simply congratulated him for coming to his senses.

He leaves the major in the cafeteria and returns to his barracks. He's stuck on base for the weekend and is starting to be bored already. He tries to watch TV for a while, hoping enough time will pass that he can call Ellie. The call was brief, but pleasant and Chuck was soon asleep without any nightmares.

Langston Graham was not having a good weekend. First, he had to deal with Beckman and her suggested replacement as Chuck's 'partner'. He decided to not put up a fight. 'Let the munchkin think that she was getting her way.' He'd partner up Carmichael with whomever he wanted when the time was right, assuming Chuck actually became an agent. And now was not the time.

He read the report from their Intersect development team. Somehow, one of the scientists working on the project had stolen a key component from the device and had sold it to Fulcrum. He needed that device back now. Graham typed a message on a internet movie review website. It was a request for an update on the status of the deep cover agent's progress infiltrating Fulcrum's Intersect lab. Anyone looking at the message would think that it was nothing more than a scathing review of a bad movie. He knew that his agent could access this website without discretely and provide a response that to him without raising suspicions. Based upon the intel provided by his agent, he knew that Fulcrum was very close to having an Intersect of their own. Whether it worked or not was anybody's guess.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22:**

The meeting with the director was brief. "The general and director Graham were at odds over a suitable replacement for agent Walker. They finally reached a compromise..." O'Hara paused and then picked up her phone. "Please send our 'guest' in." She hung up the phone and smiled at Chuck as the door opened.

Chuck spun around to see who was entering the room. His jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Well hello sailor." Carina purred as she saw Chuck's stunned face. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Are you my new partner?" Chuck asks shyly. Carina smiles and nods her head. The stunned look soon turned to a smile like a kid at Christmas.

Carina grins and takes a seat beside Chuck as the director looks at the pair and smiles. "I take it that you two know each other?" Chuck nods his head, still smiling. "Good. I need you to focus on your training now. The general and Graham are putting a lot of pressure on all of us."

Chuck and Carina both nodded and replied "Yes mam."

Maureen sighed and said "I hope so. Now get out of here." Chuck and Carina thanked her and walked out of the office.

Once outside of the director's office, Carina pulled Chuck into a warm hug while giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Are you surprised to see me?"

"Surprised, stunned, amazed, but mostly.. Happy." Chuck replied as he lifts her off of her feet and spins her around while holding her.

The administrative assistant for the director giggles and blushes watching the pair together. Carina sees this and whispers in Chuck's ear. "Put me down big boy. People are watching."

Suddenly embarrassed, Chuck stops spinning her and releases her from his hug. He gives the assistant a sheepish look and apologizes for his actions. She just smiles and says 'no problem'.

They leave the admin building making small talk as they walked to Chuck's first class of the day. He wanted to hear all of the details of her mission in Los Angles. He confessed that he had read the mission report the day before and was afraid that she was the agent that had been shot. Carina admitted that the mission was a disaster and that Zondra was shot when the tactical squad broke into the club where the meeting was being held. Zondra was only grazed by the bullet and it only required a couple of stitches to her ass, which Carina found hilarious. Chuck had to smile at the way she told the story.

The procedural class seemed to go on and on. Carina is bored out of her mind and Chuck couldn't help but feel bad for her. They had lunch and then went to the class for firearms. Thanks to the Intersect, Chuck had no problems with shooting at the inanimate targets. Deep down he wondered if he could do the same if it was human targets, even if they were trying to shoot him back. The instructor is impressed with Chuck's skills – even Carina admired his accuracy with hand guns. Chuck excused himself from the class early so that he could perform his 'other' duties. Carina followed him to the admin building and waited in the lobby as she pretended to read one of the magazines there.

Chuck reviewed the mission reports finding nothing of note in the the files. He then worked his way through the packet of personnel records. He flashed as he read the personnel record for one of the administrative assistants for director Graham. The flash was inconclusive but seemed to indicate that the aide might be a mole, but not for Fulcrum. He quickly made a note to himself to ask the general about an organization known as the ring. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was 5:00 pm, time for him to wrap things up. Placing all of the documents and his notes in the lock box, he closed it before signaling to the guard standing outside that he wanted out. The guard unlocked the door and Chuck smiled as he walked out of the room.

Getting off of the elevator he walked across the lobby to where Carina is seated, pretending to read the magazine. She raised one eye to him with her best stern look. "Nobody told me that looking after you would be so boring."

"Jeez, Carina, I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to be stuck babysitting me." Chucks whole face is red with a mixture of shame and embarrassment.

Seeing the look on Chuck's face, Carina decides to take it easy on him. She grins and says. "You better be really good at 'other' things to make up for this."

Realizing what she really meant, Chuck's embarrassment only increases. He starts to stammer. "I, I, I'm not sure what you expect out of me.." His face changes to a big smile. "But I'd sure like to try.."

Now it was Carina's turn to be embarrassed. "Let's get out of this place.."

They walk side by side back to the barracks making small talk. Chuck could feel is confidence increase each minute he was with Carina. They decided to head back to their rooms and change into 'regular' clothes before going to dinner at the cafeteria. Carina slipped into a slinky emerald green cocktail dress that she was sure would get Chuck's (along with any other man who saw her) attention. Chuck opted for a dress shirt and slacks and silk sport coat. He stood in front of the mirror and debated shaving off his new beard. He decided he'd seek Carina's opinion first.

He walked across the hall to what was Sarah's room the day before and knocked. Carina told him to enter as she was walking out of her bathroom. She could only giggle when she saw Chuck's reaction to her dress. 'I think he likes it.' She thought to herself. She batted her eyes at him and coyly asks. "Do you like?" as she twirled around giving him a view from all sides.

"It's a good thing that I know some martial arts now, because I'm going to be fighting off every guy who sees you.." Chuck swallowed before speaking his voice almost timid. "Do you know how beautiful you look?"

Carina grabbed her trench-coat from the couch and handed it to Chuck so he could help her put it on still grinning. "Thank you. You always say the nicest things."

"It's easy when it's true." Chuck replied as he held he arm out for her to take. "Shall we go?"

Carina looped her arm through his and they walked to the cafeteria. She didn't know why, but she felt safe with Chuck, almost as if he was her bodyguard. She leaned closer to him as they walked together. He held the door for her as they entered the cafeteria. They found a small table and draped their coats over the chair beside theirs. Carina could feel the eye of every man in the room on her as she walked side by side with Chuck through the line to get their dinner. He could sense the jealous looks from all of the other men and decided to hold her hand. They walked together back to the table as Chuck quickly sat his tray on the table so he could pull out the chair for Carina. She thanked him and sat down.

"Not exactly the type of dinner a woman as beautiful as you deserves, but it's the best I can do for now." Chuck comments shyly.

Carina reaches across the table and caresses his hand. "The company makes up for it." Chuck offers a shy smile and thanks her for the compliment. "So how did things go with Walker?" She blurts, unable to contain her curiosity.

Chuck's smile disappears at the mention of Sarah. "Not well. She was forced to be here and as you can see, left at the first opportunity to get away from me."

"You know I was jealous of her being with you.. When you told me that she was going to be your 'partner', I figured that she came to her senses and realized what a great guy you are.."

Chuck gently lifted her head so that she was looking into his eyes. "There's only one woman that I care if she thinks I'm a great guy.."

Carina could see that Chuck believed what he was saying. She smiled and then changed the subject to questions about his training so far. Chuck explained about his first self-defense class and how he made Casey and Sarah tap out. Carina laughed and commented how she would have paid to see Casey flat on his back being forced to tap out. They were making small talk and generally having a good time when a not so welcome voice interrupted. "Well look at you two! All dressed up and no place to go. Practicing your seduction skills there Miller? Where are you hiding the handcuffs?" Casey sarcastically commented as he approached the table.

Chuck just shot the major an icy glare, but Carina decided to take the high road. "Good evening major Casey. Chuck was just telling me about his hand to hand combat training. I hear that he put his instructor on his ass and forced him to tap out. Is that true?"

Casey's grin disappears almost instantly. Looking to save face, he decides to poke at Chuck a little bit to see how Carina reacts. "Yeah, but you should have seen how your boy took down the mighty Sarah Walker not once, but twice. Damn near broke her wrist the second time."

Part of Carina is surprised to hear how Chuck took Sarah down twice. She knew first hand how Sarah prided herself on her hand to hand skills. She looked at Chuck who appeared to be ashamed of Casey's revelation, looking down at his food instead of her. Sensing his shame, she reaches for his hand again, telling him how he had nothing to be ashamed of. He feigned a smile, but couldn't shake the guilt he felt for his actions.

"So how long are you here for Miller? Your boy can't seem to hang on to a handler." Casey snidely commented.

"As long as he'll have me. I hope to be his partner once his training is complete." Carina replied. Chuck stops eating and gives her a look of pure affection.

Casey realizes that he's not going to provoke either of them decides to end the conversation. "I best let you love birds eat your dinner.. Oh and Carmichael, if you need someone to run with in the morning, let me know." He laughs as he walks away from the couple.

Chuck returned his attention to what was left of his dinner. The realization hitting him that Carina wasn't here as his girlfriend, but as his protector, the same as Sarah. The guilt he felt was palpable. He saw how much it effected Sarah, how she resented being with him and was afraid that deep down Carina felt the same way. She could sense that something was troubling him by his sudden avoidance of eye contact with her. She reached across the table and took his hand in hers, forcing him to look at her. "Did Casey say something to upset you?"

Chuck gave her a sad smile. "No, not really. He just made me think about how much you're giving up to 'babysit' me." Chuck sighed before continuing. "I'm sorry that you got caught up in all of this."

Carina tugged on his hand so he would look at her. "I'm not. I have to admit, when I was first approached by the general I was surprised. I knew then that you must be really special. She had to pull some strings to get me assigned to you. When I heard that Sarah had left again, I have to admit that I felt a small sense of relief. I had to agree to the assignment before I was told just how special you really are."

The shocked look on Chuck's face said more than words. "You know.. Everything?"

Carina gently stoked his hand while looking at him. "I'm pretty sure the general told me everything.. Are you afraid that I think of you differently now?"

"I, I don't know." Chuck stammered. "Do you?"

"Not really. The things that I liked about you haven't changed.. The night is still young. What do you do for fun around this place?"

"I don't know. Other than the gym and the cafeteria, I haven't seen much to do around here."

"I could think of a thing or two." Carina replied with a suggestive wink, waiting to see Chuck blush.

Chuck rose from his seat, still holding her hand in his. "Why agent Miller, I thought you'd never ask.."

The alarm on his phone sounded promptly at 5:00 am. He tried to reach across the bed to tap the snooze button, but is impeded by something. The obstruction to his movement began to speak, mumbling in her sleep about five more minutes before draping her arm across his chest and her leg across his own. All Chuck could do was smile as the memories from last night came back to him. Leaning forward, his placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as he tried to free himself from her vine like hold of him. He finally freed himself enough to reach the still chirping phone and stop the alarm.

Carina rolled onto her back and let out an exasperated huff of air. Chuck leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips this time and whispered. "Rise and shine beautiful." Carina growled and rolled over on her side, ignoring his request. "Tell you what. You stay here while I get my morning run out of the way. I'll be back in an hour. Ok?"

Carina squeezed her eyes shut tighter as the light in the room came on mumbling something about 'beauty sleep' and buried her face in the pillow. Chuck slipped on his jogging pants and hoodie while staring at her sleeping form. He was sure that Carina never looked as beautiful to him as she did at that moment. He quickly slipped on his socks and running shoes and walked over to the bed. He knelt down and placed another kiss on her neck as he turned to leave the room. She smiled as his lips contacted her neck and frowned as he pulled away, missing the contact.

An hour later, Chuck returned to the room and saw that Carina was in the same position that she was in when he left. He walked over to the bed and bent over to give her a kiss good morning. As he leaned over, Carina's arms shot out from under the covers, pulling him down on top of her. She giggled at the surprised look on Chuck's face at her sudden takedown of him placing a wet kiss on his lips. "Good morning handsome." Carina purred. She then sniffed and made a disgusted look. "You Stink!"

Chuck laughed. "And I love you too, agent Miller. Why don't I take a shower like I planned to and maybe I won't stink so bad."

Carina paused for a second at Chuck's profession of love for her. She knew that he was teasing, but something about it felt right. Throwing the covers off of her, she purred. "Care for some company?"

Chuck turned to see her nude form in the light for the first time, nearly falling over as he removed his sweats. Her body was as close to perfect as he could only imagine a woman's being. He audibly gulped at the sight and Carina giggled. "It's a pretty small shower.." He commented shyly.

Carina sat up and replied. "That's ok. I like close quarters.. With the right person.." Chuck blushed and pulled her up from the bed while still trying to remove the last of his clothes. She winked at him while still holding his hand. "Let's see how well you operate in tight spaces.." She wiggled her naked ass as she pulled him into the bathroom.

Chuck could only sigh as he stared at her perfect behind, trying to memorize the size and location of every freckle. Things were definitely improving, he thought as he followed her into the shower..


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23:**

Agent in Charge Sarah Walker slammed her notebook computer closed in frustration. She stared at the dark office inside of the US Embassy in Zurich that has served as her office since she arrived nearly two weeks ago. The other agents on her team were off following up leads that have proven fruitless. She raked her fingers through her hair as she tried to calm herself. With the exception of the information provided by Chuck before she left the US, there had been no leads. Director Graham had given her two weeks to find Larkin or the search would be ended. She knew that the odds of Bryce being found alive diminished with each passing day.

Chuck had been correct. Bryce had been held in the former KGB safe house in Mullhouse. He had left behind a few clues to verify that he had been there. Sarah had no way of knowing if he left there alive, but could only assume that whomever had him thought that he had some value. Bryce's knowledge that Chuck was the Intersect made him a huge liability to the CIA and the NSA. She could only hope that Graham holds off on any termination order he may be contemplating on Larkin.

Sarah reread the progress reports from her agents again hoping to find something that she may have missed the first three times she read them. For the briefest of moments she wished that Chuck was there to look at the evidence. 'The Intersect might see something that she and her team missed' she mused, then chastised herself for thinking of Chuck the same way that Beckman and Graham did – a tool for their use. She wondered if she had really treated him any better than they did.

* * *

><p>The next few weeks seemed to fly by for Chuck. Carina was by his side daily and was more than a partner. She served as a teacher and mentor, helping to assuage his fears and doubts regarding interrogation resistance training. He never felt embarrassed asking her questions when he was in doubt and she was more than willing to explain things to him honestly. He confessed to her his fears about taking another life regardless of the circumstances. She explained that it will forever change him, but is necessary sometimes to protect others. To be honest, Carina felt a great sense of pride watching Chuck develop into a field agent.<p>

Casey had also noticed the changes in Chuck's demeanor and was quick to let the general know, believing that agent Miller was responsible. Diane Beckman smiled as she read the major's reports, knowing that she was closer to having the agent they had only dreamed of. Agent Carmichael performed his duties without question and was always polite and respectful to her. She wondered if it had more to due with him 'dating' her daughter than respecting her rank.

The two of them seemed to be inseparable. They seemed to truly enjoy each other's company. Chuck had even confessed that he loved Carina. Granted, it was immediately after an interrogation resistance training session where sodium pentathol was used and he was still under its influence. Carina didn't care why he said it, she knew he meant it and that was enough for her.

Things were going well until Chuck started his 'Infiltration of Enemy Personnel' training, also known as seduction school. The instructor was none other than Roan Montgomery, a legendary Lothario within the intelligence community and the father of Cassandra Montgomery. Roan had been forewarned by Diane Beckman personally that there was a 'special' agent coming through training and that their daughter was his bodyguard while he trained. Roan knew that there was more to the story than what Diane was telling him and felt confident that Cassie would fill in the blanks.

Chuck's introduction to Roan was awkward to put it mildly, acting like a teenager meeting his dates father for the first time. One look at Carina and her pleasant attitude towards Chuck was a dead giveaway. He took one look at Carina and smiled. If there was one thing that Roan was sure of, it was the way a woman looked at a man when she was in love. And his daughter looked that way at agent Carmichael. 'This could be fun' he thought as he pulled Carina to his chest and wrapped her in his arms in a warm hug. "Agent Miller, it's been a long time. Could I tempt you into coming back to my place for dinner?" Roan placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and then glanced to see what type of reaction came from Chuck.

Expecting a jealous reaction from the young agent, he was surprised when Chuck responded. "Eeewww, I didn't know that your father was from Appalachia, Cassie." Roan immediately released his daughter from his grasp as if he was burned while Carina burst into laughter.

"I warned him that you might try something like this." Carina continued laughing even harder now. "And before you ask, no, I didn't tell him and neither did the general."

Roan Montgomery was rarely at a loss for words, but this was one of those occasions. He tried to regain his composure as he took another look at the young man that he wrote off at first glance. 'There's more to him than meets the eye.' He thought as Chuck extended his hand again to him. "Agent Charles Carmichael sir. It's a pleasure to meet you and yes, I am 'dating' your daughter."

Roan shook his hand and asks "How did you find out? Who told you?"

Chuck smiled and replied, "I did the math." Seeing the confused look on both Carina and Roan's face, he continues. "I saw a picture of Cassie in her mother's office. She was about ten years old at the time. I knew that Carina had to be that girl in the picture. I stumbled across some information that told me her real name.. When I heard what your last name was, I became suspicious. When I saw the way you two looked at each other, I put two plus two together. I did the math." Chuck hoped that his lame explanation would placate Roan. He didn't trust him enough to tell him that he simply flashed and saw everything in his personnel records.

* * *

><p>Pairing Chuck and Carina together, the agent in training breezed through his exercises. Chuck was self-assured and confident when attempting to seduce Carina. Changing partners produced vastly different results. His confidence was nowhere to be found and he looked like a high school boy asking a girl out on their first date. This only confirmed what Roan had suspected since he first met Chuck – the young agent was in love with his daughter.<p>

Roan invited the couple back to his apartment on base for dinner which they reluctantly accepted. Montgomery had ordered food from a restaurant in the nearest town and had one of the soldiers stationed there to pick it up for him. The trio enjoyed a pleasant meal and the conversation flowed smoothly. Roan told stories of how he had met Diane Beckman while working undercover in east Berlin. Both Chuck and Carina listened intently as Roan told stories about what it was like to be a spy in eastern Europe during the cold war.

Roan then asked the couple about how they met. Chuck smiled and listened as Carina recounted how she and Chuck met on the diamond mission. How she tried to seduce him to get information from him and how she failed. She went on to tell how Chuck had FedEx'd the diamond back to her mother and director Graham. Roan couldn't help but laugh at the way Carina told the story and tried to appear angry at Chuck for his actions.

"So Charles, how did you end up working for the agencies?" Roan asks.

"Please call me Chuck." He replied, trying to buy a little time to prepare the story for how he got involved with the intelligence community. "It's a long and boring story, so I'll give you the hi-lights.. Somehow, I came across some 'skills' that the government was in need of. I didn't think anything of it until one day a CIA agent shows up at work and asks me out on a date. You probably know her too. I knew that something was up. Girls as beautiful as Sarah, or Carina, don't just show up out of the blue and ask me out."

Chuck paused for a moment to make sure that he didn't reveal anything that Carina didn't already know about him. "We went out on this date, and for the briefest of moments, I actually thought that it was real. That was until a team of NSA agents tried to capture agent Walker and I. There was a confrontation between the lead NSA agent and agent Walker. Both were intent on taking me in to their respective bosses." Chuck paused, not wanting to go into further details. "To make a long story short, the agencies decided that they could use me as an asset. They decided to assign agent Walker and major Casey to work with me and help where I could with missions."

Roan smiled. He knew that Chuck was more than an asset. You don't assign agents like Sarah Walker and John Casey to partner with a just an asset. No, there was more to the story than that. "So Charles, I mean Chuck, why are you training to be an agent?"

"Well, things were working out pretty well until there was an attempt to find out why two agents like Casey and Walker were hanging out in a place like Burbank. The general and director decided that I either go into protective custody or become a real agent. And that's how I ended up here." Chuck excused himself and asked for directions to the restroom. Roan gestured in the proper direction and Chuck walked out of the room.

"So Cassie, what's the real story with Charles? Is he an assignment? I know that he's more valuable to the agency that what he lets on. You don't get partnered with agents like Sarah Walker and John Casey for nothing."

"All I know is what he told you. I've had the same suspicions that you have since I first met him. And to answer your question, yes he is my assignment, for now. If things work out, I hope to be partnered with him."

Roan gives her a sly grin and a wink. "I think that my little girl is in smitten with young Charles." Roan's expression changed to one of concern. "I saw the way he looked when he mentioned agent Walker. Were they a couple? Can you trust him Cassie? I don't want you to be hurt."

Carina offers a sad smile and replies. "Sarah Walker manipulated Chuck like he was a mark. The agencies forced them to act like a couple for the cover. He misinterpreted her actions as real despite her telling him that they weren't. Chuck started to believe that it was real, but Sarah left him the first chance that she got without as much as a goodbye.. But to answer your question, yes, I trust Chuck."

"That's all I wanted to hear Cassie." He reached across the coffee table and gently stroked her hand. "He's not that good of a spy. One look at him and I could tell he was falling for you. As your father, that pleases me, but as his instructor, I'm worried that he won't make it in the field if he can't hide his feelings better. You should talk to him and tell him it's ok to seduce the enemy. He needs to learn to separate his feelings from his actions. I'd hate to see him hurt because he couldn't seduce a mark for a mission."

"I'll talk to him, but it won't be easy. He's too honest of a person for this business, but I don't think that he was given much of a choice." She sighed as she took another sip of her drink.

Chuck has been standing on the other side of the doorway listening to the majority of the conversation. He didn't feel bad for eavesdropping – he needed to know how much of his story Roan bought. He was disappointed in himself for not masking his feelings about Sarah better. Chuck was glad that Roan was concerned for him – even if it was just for his daughter's sake.

He smiled as he walked back into the room where Roan and Carina were sitting. "My ears weren't burning too badly, so I assume that I wasn't being talked about that much." He grinned to let them know that he was ok with it.

Carina blushed and Roan simply replied. "Don't worry my boy, you came out pretty well, all things considered." They continued with small talk for a few minutes more and Carina looked at her watch and commented that it was getting late and they had a full day of activities ahead. Chuck and Carina thanked Roan for his hospitality and offered to return the favor once his training was over. Roan agreed and hugged Carina. He shook Chuck's hand and the couple left his apartment and started walking back to their barracks, hand in hand.

The walk was made in comfortable silence. Chuck would sneak a glance and give her hand a gentle squeeze as they made their way back to their rooms. He could see that something was bothering her and based upon what he had overheard, Chuck could feel pretty sure he knew what. She shivered as the wind gusted while they walked. Spring was weeks away, but it still felt like winter. Chuck pulled her hand and placed it into his jacket pocket along with his own.

They were standing in front of their respective doors when Chuck decided to break the silence. "Do you want to talk about it Carina? I know that something's bothering you and I can guess what it is."

Carina gave him a sly grin. "Is that so? So you are a mind reader too?"

"I wish." Chuck smiled and took her hands in his. "No, but I'm good at eavesdropping. You think that my feelings for you are holding me back from being the type of agent that I need to be.. But you're wrong. My feelings for you are what keeps me going, what makes me want to try. You have no idea how much being with you has helped me."

Carina could look into his eyes and knew that he believed that everything that he said was true. "Look Chuck, you need to pass seduction school or you'll never become an agent. Would it help if I wasn't there with you?"

Chuck tugged her hands so that she would look directly at him. "It wouldn't matter if you were in the next room or the next hemisphere, I'd still feel like I was cheating on my girlfriend. I'm just not wired that way, but I'll promise to try my best if you promise not to feel guilty for what I have to do." He released her hands and pulled her into a warm embrace, gently pulling her hair behind her ear so he could look at her.

Carina offered a shy smile. "I promise. But that doesn't mean that I won't get jealous if I think that you're a little too convincing."

"I'd expect nothing less." He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He rested his forehead against hers and smiled. "I know that it's too soon and I don't want to scare you, but Carina I think that I'm falling in love with you.. I'm sorry."

Carina is stunned. No man had ever professed his love in such a manner. Chuck was right, it did scare her. No, it terrified her. She'd heard Chuck mention love before, but it never seemed real. This was real. She wouldn't confirm her feelings for Chuck with her father, even though he thought that she was in 'smitten' with him. All she would admit was that she trusted him. "Chuck, I..."

Chuck stopped her before she could say any more. "It's ok Carina. I understand. I do. Spies don't fall in love, right? I'll never be a good spy." He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Good night agent Miller." He turned away and walked into his room leaving a bewildered Carina still standing there wondering what just happened.

Once the shock wore off, anger took its place. She turned and started pounding on Chuck's door. "Open the damn door 'agent Carmichael', before I kick the damn thing in." She could hear him mumbling and making his way across the room to his door. He unlocked it and slowly opened it. As soon as the door started to open, she pushed it the rest of the way and stormed into the room. Carina waited until he closed the door and then walked towards him.

His nonplussed expression fueled her anger as she started poking him in the chest with her finger. "You, Mr Carmichael, do not get to tell me how I feel, only I get to do that." She sighed as she rakes her fingers through her hair. "And this.." Carina gestures with her hand back and forth from her to him. "Is all new to me.." Her expression softens from anger to sadness. "I have no idea what we have Chuck, how sad is that?" Chuck raised a finger as if he was about to answer, but Carina cut him off with a wave of his hand before he could speak. "No, you listen while I speak. Understand?" Chuck could only nod. "I'm 28 years old and I've never been in love. Then you come along and I get all of these feelings that I've never felt before. And I'm scared. So don't push me away Chuck just because I can't say the words. I promised to never lie to you, remember?"

Chuck simply pulled her into his arms and proceeded to kiss her as if he never would again. "I'm scared too Carina, but I won't let my fear keep me away from the best thing I've found – you."


End file.
